MAGIC OF MAGNOLIAS
These ravishing beauties provide instant impact if planted now . . .
MAGNOLIAS are surely the grandest of ornamental trees. Their flowers are gorgeous, most develop a shapely outline and some have magnificent foliage. That special beauty may lie in their ancient lineage. More than 80 fossil species of these primitive flowering plants have been found. They flourished before bees existed and were probably pollinated by beetles.
Modern magnolias are from Asia, but there are American varieties, too. Best known of these — Magnolia grandiflora or bull bay — is the state flower of Louisiana and of Mississippi.
This is a good time to buy and plant magnolias. Though still largely dormant, the flowers are beginning to open and will provide instant impact. It’s crucial, though, to select the right variety — not just for your soil and conditions, but for the space available. Most respond badly to pruning. In limited space, stick to smaller kinds such as Magnolia stellata or modest-growing hybrids such as lilac-flowered Leonard Messel.
PICK OF THE BUNCH
SOME magnolias make whopping trees. M. campbelli and its varieties look magnificent in full flower, towering up to 15m with a 10m spread.
For medium trees, Britain’s most popular, M.x soulangeana, comes in several varieties, including gorgeous rosy Rustica Rubra and creamy white Lennei Alba. These can grow as big, multi-trunked shrubs, but Brozzoni is more treeshaped with a single trunk and elegant white flowers.
More compact hybrids include the popular M. Susan, whose purple-flush blooms are bananacurved. Star Wars is a gorgeous pink and acid-loving M. liliiflora Nigra has deep purple flowers.
Among evergreens, the most dependable is American M. grandiflora. It’s a lowland plant, relishing moist sandy soils and able to withstand summer heat. But it grows big — up to 18m high — and takes a few years to flower freely. For small spaces, the compact, column- shaped M. grandiflora Little Gem might suit you better. Find it at crocus.co.uk.
Most magnolias prefer neutral or acid soils. But M. grandiflora and varieties of M. stellata and M. x soulangeana are lime-tolerant.
BE PREPARED
BEFORE planting, work compost into the ground to boost organic matter. Sprinkle a little bonemeal at the bottom of the soil and place the tree. Before you back-fill, apply a fungal stimulator such as Rootgrow to aid rapid establishment. If necessary, support your tree with a stake, fill the hole and gently firm the soil around the roots.
Water newly planted trees and shrubs frequently, especially during their first spring and summer. Modern potting composts dry quickly and plants with undeveloped root systems could suffer drought stress.
If your tree is on a lawn, clear turf from around the trunk to create a small bed, 1m in diameter. This eliminates grass competition, enables you to enrich the soil and will make future mowing easier.
For spring colour, you can under-plant with little bulbs such as crocuses or dwarf narcissus. And, later, you could add noninvasive ground cover.
Although most magnolias need little or no pruning, M. grandiflora responds beautifully to clipping, even into columns or formal shapes. You can also train this large-leaved, lime-tolerant evergreen on a sunny wall.