How to Grow and Care for Saucer Magnolia Trees

Magnolia x soulangeana

The most well-liked deciduous magnolia, Magnolia x soulangeana, produces heaps and heaps of enormous purple, pastel pink, and white blossoms on naked branches within the spring.

However it’s not a tree that happens in nature. It’s a hybrid cross of two not-so-popular species. The outcome is likely one of the finest magnolia choices on the market: the saucer magnolia.

What makes this hybrid so implausible? It produces an virtually unreal variety of blossoms. The tree is so densely robed in elegant flowers you could’t even see the branches beneath.

It maintains a petite dimension in comparison with different species within the genus, averaging round 20 toes tall, and it’s comparatively untroubled by illnesses and pests.

We hyperlink to distributors that will help you discover related merchandise. In the event you purchase from certainly one of our hyperlinks, we could earn a fee.

Want a focus within the backyard however lack house? Need one thing that may produce an excellent present with out a lot work in your half? On the lookout for a tree that isn’t going to wish fixed pampering?

The reply to all three of these questions is a saucer magnolia.

In our information to rising magnolias, we talk about the right way to domesticate these timber in your panorama. On this information, we’ll zero-in on the saucer magnolia, and the right way to make this tree thrive.

Right here’s what I’ll cowl:

It all the time helps to grasp a bit a couple of tree’s historical past earlier than you soar into rising it. That method, you may have a good suggestion of what the plant wants. Let’s go over that first.

Cultivation and Historical past

Saucer magnolias (Magnolia x soulangeana) don’t seem naturally within the wild.

They’re cultivated hybrid crosses of two magnolia species: lilytree (M. denudata) and tulip magnolia (M. liliiflora).

The Yulan, Chinese language, or lilytree (M. denudata syn. M. heptapeta) magnolia is native to central and jap China and has been cultivated for tons of of years, with information of specimens planted in Buddhist temples courting again to 600 AD. It arrived in England in 1780.

M. denudata timber develop as much as 30 toes tall and produce plenty of citrus-scented, thick-petaled white flowers.

The Mulan, purple, crimson, lily, or tulip magnolia (M. liliiflora) hails from southwest China and has been well-liked in Japan for hundreds of years, although it’s not native there. It was launched to Britain in 1861 from Japan.

It’s smaller than many different species, at simply 12 toes tall or so. The flowers are pinkish-purple.

Saucer magnolias mix the most effective options of each species.

They’re small in stature at about 20 toes tall and 15 toes large at maturity. Within the early spring in Zones 5 to 9, giant white, pink, and maroon flowers bud out on the stems and open up with a cupped or globular form, measuring as much as 14 inches in diameter.

The flower colour, dimension, and form varies relying on the cultivar. The one function all of them have in widespread is that the timber are extraordinarily floriferous. After they’re in bloom, you may hardly even see the branches beneath.

After the flowers fade, they’re adopted by alternate, elongated leaves. Beneath all that’s easy, grey bark.

After they’re younger, the timber are inclined to develop in fairly an upright behavior, however they tackle a rounded or oval form as they age.

Now we have French botanist and biologist Etienne Soulange-Bodin to thank for this flowering marvel. He tinkered round with the father or mother species and finally bred and named the saucer magnolia in 1826.

He was impressed with its prolific flowering, and it rapidly grew to become well-liked in France, England, and North America. Now, there are dozens of cultivars obtainable and you could find this tree rising in landscapes and parks virtually in all places that has the appropriate local weather.

Saucer Magnolia Propagation

As a hybrid, it’s finest to not attempt to propagate saucer magnolia from seed because it gained’t develop true and your endurance is unlikely to be rewarded.

Shopping for a plant from a nursery for transplanting or propagating by way of stem cuttings are each dependable methods to get began.

From Cuttings

Propagating stem cuttings creates an actual clone of the father or mother plant, so when you love a specific tree, you may take a number of softwood cuttings and recreate it.

Within the spring simply after the leaves open, discover a department that’s comfortable and pliable with new progress and wholesome foliage. Lower about eight inches in size with the tip at a 45-degree angle.

Take away all of the leaves besides the highest two. If each leaves are comparatively giant when in comparison with different foliage on the tree, minimize them in half vertically. An excessive amount of foliage will drain the restricted assets within the reducing earlier than it may develop the roots.

Fill a gallon-sized container with a seed-starting combination. Dip the tip of the reducing in rooting hormone and insert it into the middle of the container about two inches deep.

Moisten the medium properly and place the container in an space with brilliant, oblique mild. In the event you stay in a dry local weather, it may assist to tent some clear plastic over the reducing to retain humidity. Don’t let the plastic contact the stem reducing, although. Prop it up with a chopstick or different kind of assist if essential.

Hold the soil moist and await the reducing to develop new progress. When new progress is clear, you may transplant the rooted reducing into the backyard within the spring or summer season.

Transplanting

Buying a saucer magnolia out of your native nursery or backyard middle isn’t as low-cost as rising from cuttings, however you get a headstart, and it’s definitely a lot simpler.

Plan to purchase and transplant your younger tree within the spring. Many timber do finest whenever you plant them within the fall, however magnolias desire to be transplanted within the spring.

Whenever you carry dwelling your potted tree, dig a gap that’s the identical depth and twice as large because the container the tree is presently rising in.

Take away the plant from the container and gently loosen up the roots. You need them to develop out and away from the middle, not circle round, which could occur if the plant has been rising within the container for some time.

Spreading the roots helps forestall girdling the tree, which is when the roots develop in a circle at or beneath soil degree, and may finally strangle the tree.

Set the plant within the floor on the similar top because it was within the container and fill in across the roots with soil. Water properly and add extra soil, if essential.

The extra compact saucer magnolia cultivars corresponding to ‘Brozzoni,’ ‘Lilliputian,’ and ‘Verbanica’ could be grown in containers.

You need the tree to be sitting about the identical top it was within the rising container or perhaps an inch or two increased. Water properly and add extra soil if it settles.

Methods to Develop Saucer Magnolias

Saucer magnolias develop properly in full solar to half shade places in Zones 5 to 9, although shade will cut back flowering.

Saucer magnolias are fairly tolerant of situations that hassle different magnolia species, like wind and alkaline soil.

The branches don’t break as simply as some species and although they like organically-rich, well-draining, barely acidic to impartial soil with a pH between 6.0 and seven.5, they’ll tolerate a pH as much as 8.0.

These timber do finest in areas with persistently moist soil. Any extremes on both finish of the spectrum, whether or not that’s too dry or soggy and waterlogged, will stress or kill the tree. 

Which means you’ll have to irrigate if Mom Nature doesn’t present the mandatory moisture. Anytime the soil begins to dry out, add water till it looks like a well-wrung-out sponge.

It’s particularly necessary to remain on high of watering for the primary 5 years of the plant’s life. After that, it may tolerate a bit extra variance.

Containers dry out sooner than floor soil, so that you’ll have to maintain an in depth eye on the soil moisture, particularly throughout dry spells.

Now, now we have to speak concerning the heartbreaking a part of rising this plant. After ready patiently all winter lengthy, in early spring the buds swell and the flowers open. Then alongside comes a late frost, and growth. The flowers are useless, and it’s important to miss out on this yr’s show.

There isn’t a lot you are able to do to stop this apart from choose one of many cultivars that bud out a bit later within the spring in case your space is susceptible to late frosts. You probably have sufficient frost material and you’ll attain your complete tree, you may cowl it to guard the buds and blossoms.

Attempt to keep away from planting subsequent to a brick or cement wall that faces south. This space is normally hotter than the encircling space and it would encourage the flowers to bud out sooner than regular, leaving them uncovered to late frosts.

To encourage plenty of blooms, feed the plant as soon as within the spring every year after flowering with an all-purpose meals.

I attain for Right down to Earth’s All Objective meals as a result of it is available in a compostable field and is produced from good things like bone meal, feather meal, alfalfa meal, and kelp meal.

Right down to Earth All Objective Meals

In the event you’d wish to seize some, head to Arbico Organics.

Additionally they carry a tree and shrub combine, which comprises comparable goodies with the addition of 11 strains of mycorrhizal fungi to assist wholesome roots.

Right down to Earth Tree and Shrub Combine

It’s additionally obtainable at Arbico Organics in five- or 15-pound bins.

Rising Ideas

• Develop in full to partial solar.
• Plant in unfastened, wealthy soil.
• Hold the soil persistently moist.

Pruning and Upkeep

Alright, strap in. We’re about to dive into the complicated world of pruning magnolias. Wait, did I say complicated? I meant to say extremely easy.

You most likely don’t ever have to prune your saucer magnolia, until there’s an issue like a damaged department or indicators of illness.

When the timber are younger, you may prune them to encourage a extra tree-like form if that’s what you like, since they’ll generally tackle a shrubby look.

In any other case, prune off any diseased or broken branches as you see them.

You don’t even have to prune to open up the cover, as you do with some species, until you wish to. The very best time to prune for form is within the spring earlier than the blossoms open.

In case you are rising your specimen in a container, you shouldn’t have to repot, however when you begin to see roots rising out of the drainage holes, take away the tree (enlist the assistance of a good friend) and trim the roots and put the plant again within the pot.

Then, trim the cover a bit to scale back the load on the roots.

Saucer Magnolia Cultivars to Choose

There are a number of well-liked cultivars that you could find at backyard facilities and nurseries, however many locations simply carry the ever-popular unique.

And why not? It’s virtually excellent; no enchancment wanted.

Saucer Magnolia

Pop on over to Nature Hills Nursery for a stay plant in a #2 or #3 container.

After all, there’s no cause to not get pleasure from one of many many marvelous cultivars as there are alternatives with white flowers, extra compact shapes, and much more floriferous blooming.

Alba Superba

With giant, closely aromatic flowers which might be principally white with only a trace of purple blush on the base, this cultivar is wearing a pale gown of flowers for weeks within the early spring.

It grows to about 20 toes tall, making it ultimate for smaller spots.

Bred in The Netherlands on the Van Geert Nursery in 1866, This cultivar gained a gradual following and nabbed the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Backyard Advantage in 1969.

Alexandrina

‘Alexandrina’ maintains its 20- to 30-foot top with a compact progress behavior with none effort in your half.

Simply plant it and watch it develop and bloom with its purplish-pink and white cup-shaped, aromatic flowers.

It was found in France in 1831 and has since diversified based mostly on the place it’s grown. These in Europe have a tendency have paler blooms, whereas North American clones are darker.

‘Alexandrina’

The one draw back is that this cultivar blooms early, which implies late frosts can kill the blossoms. Nature Hills Nursery has this versatile magnificence in #1 and #5 containers.

Lennei

A small tree that solely grows to about 15 toes tall, with comparatively small flowers at simply 4 inches in diameter, ‘Lennei’ nonetheless manages to make a giant assertion.

Every blossom is deep purple and rose on the outside and creamy white inside. So the tree appears to be like vibrant pinky-purple because the flowers bud out after which takes on a bicolored look as they open.

The blossoms seem a bit later than different saucer magnolias, they usually may pop up once more in the summertime in smaller numbers.

Managing Pests and Illness

Saucer magnolias are comparatively free from pests and illnesses. I’ll, nevertheless, recommend that you simply arrange camp within the spring because the buds are growing.

Arm your self with an air horn and a great ebook, and blast the squirrels out of the realm, as a result of they are going to eat the flower buds.

Deer ignore them, although, in order that’s a reduction!

There actually aren’t many illnesses to fret about and the one insect pest to emphasize about is scale.

Scale

Magnolia scale (Neolecanium cornuparvum) is the most important scale insect within the US, coming in at practically half an inch in diameter.

It’s a North American native and it doesn’t feed on something however magnolias, with saucer being certainly one of its favorites.

The pests are orange-pink and oval with a white waxy coating, they usually use their sucking mouthparts to attract the sap out of the timber.

Gentle infestations could stress the tree, inflicting leaf drop or department dieback, however within the case of a heavy infestation, a tree can die.

As they feed, the bugs excrete a sticky substance often called honeydew. Not solely does this drop onto the garden, vehicles, walkways and the rest beneath the tree, nevertheless it additionally attracts ugly sooty mould.

Making use of a dormant oil earlier than the flowers open can assist offer you a head begin on the season, however true management includes encouraging pure predators like ladybugs and inexperienced lacewings.

A wholesome backyard ought to have a great steadiness of pests and predators, so working in the direction of variety is necessary. Within the quick time period, you should purchase helpful predators to launch into your backyard.

Inexperienced Lacewings

You will discover inexperienced lacewings in a wide range of portions to assist your native populations obtainable at Arbico Organics.

It’s doable to make use of pesticides, however these will kill the nice bugs together with the unhealthy, so you find yourself preventing the issue yr after yr. It’s finest to order pesticides for extreme infestations that threaten the lifetime of the tree.

Be taught extra about the right way to cope with scale bugs in our information.

Tulip-Poplar Weevils

Tulip-poplar weevils (Odontopus calceatus) will chew holes within the leaves, however they aren’t something to fret about.

Simply know that in case your tree has some holey leaves, that’s possible the trigger. If it drives you nuts, deal with them with insecticidal cleaning soap.

Verticillium Wilt

When it comes to illness, verticillium wilt is evil. It could quickly kill an in any other case wholesome, mature tree and there’s no remedy.

Search for signs like leaf scorch, unusually heavy seeding, and department demise. As a result of the signs are considerably imprecise, minimize off a department and strip the bark. In the event you see brown streaks or brown sapwood, you may affirm the issue.

In case your tree is contaminated, you may’t reserve it. Take away it to stop infecting different crops.

The fungus lives within the soil for years, so don’t plant something there that’s inclined to the illness for a minimum of ten years. And plenty of, many timber are inclined.

The checklist of those who aren’t inclined is fairly quick. Strive rising birch, ginkgo, juniper, spruce, pine, dogwood, hawthorn, fig, mulberry, oak, sequoia, and willow timber as a substitute.

Finest Makes use of for Saucer Magnolias

The saucer magnolia could be grown in a big container when you’re keen to prune persistently. Discuss a focus in your patio!

It’s also possible to use the tree in espalier, however please, please don’t practice it in opposition to a wall. The warmth will mirror off the wall and onto the tree and trigger it to flower a bit earlier, leaving it uncovered to killing frosts.

In any other case, the saucer magnolia makes an ideal specimen or background tree within the panorama. The extra compact cultivars could make a serious impression in a small house.

In the event you choose to permit the tree to tackle a shrubby look, you may plant a number of as a floriferous hedge for privateness or to create a pure boundary.

Magnolia flowers are additionally edible, and I discover the blooms from saucer magnolias to be a number of the tastiest.

The deeper the colour, the extra floral and citrus the flavour appears to be. Pickle them, use them in tea, or chop them up so as to add a little bit of colour to salads.

Fast Reference Rising Information

Plant Sort:	Deciduous flowering tree	Flower/Foliage Coloration:	White, pink, purple/inexperienced
Native to:	Cultivated hybrid	Upkeep:	Low
Hardiness (USDA Zones):	5-9	Tolerance	Alkaline soil, wind
Bloom Time:	Spring	Soil Sort:	Unfastened, wealthy
Publicity:	Full to partial solar	Soil pH:	6.0-7.5
Time to Maturity:	10 years	Soil Drainage:	Properly-draining
Spacing:	15 toes	Attracts:	Birds, beetles
Planting Depth:	Identical depth as rising container	Companion Planting:	Barrenroot, deadnettle, ferns, hostas, ivy, candy woodruff, vinca
Peak:	As much as 30 toes	Makes use of:	Specimen, container, espalier, hedge, edible
Unfold:	As much as 30 toes	Order:	Magnoliales
Development Price:	Average	Household:	Magnoliaceae
Water Wants:	Average	Genus:	Magnolia
Frequent Pests and Ailments:	Squirrels, scale, tulip-poplar weevil; verticillium wilt	Species:	x Soulangeana

Sit Again and Benefit from the Present

It’s arduous to not love a plant that permits you to mainly sit again and benefit from the present with little work in your half, however that’s the saucer magnolia for you.

And present me a spring-blooming tree that’s as spectacular. The blossoms are large, colourful, and there are simply so lots of them. I feel the truth that they bloom on naked branches earlier than the leaves emerge makes the show much more spectacular.

What plans do you will have to your new saucer magnolia? Or do you have already got one? What’s your favourite half about it? Tell us within the feedback.

And to study extra about rising magnolias, have a learn of those guides subsequent: