In winter and early spring the deciduous magnolias, 'the aristocrats of the flowering trees', become conspicuous in our gardens with their breathtaking display of magnificent blooms.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Late winter just before spring arrives, is a good time to plant magnolias as they will start to grow almost immediately.
Choose the position carefully as magnolias don't take to being relocated very well. Check the ultimate height and spread of a plant before purchasing to make sure it will suit your situation.
Named after Pierre Magnol, a professor of botany and medicine at Montepellier in the 16th century, these long-lived plants range from shrubs to tall trees and produce their flowers on bare branches before the new leaves emerge.
A magnolia can be found to produce flowers from August until October from among the hundreds of cultivars that exist today.
As most magnolias originate in the Himalayas and Eastern Asia they require a friable soil with a mulch to help maintain a constant moisture level around their roots.
Most, if not all, will be successful in our gardens given protection from cold south and west winds. With these conditions they should thrive in a sunny spot.
The most common problem is a lack of a free-draining, heavy clay soil. Magnolias will benefit from a regular light hoeing around the roots to allow air and water to penetrate.
They prefer a slightly acidic pH and can quickly show the effects of excessive potash or lime by a yellowing of their leaves. This can also indicate a lack of potash, especially when magnolias are being grown in open sandy soils.
I suggest that you dig into the soil before planting liberal amounts of compost as well as animal manures.
A handful of blood and bone scattered in the bottom of the planting hole is all the feeding that should be necessary for the first year.
Then just before new growth appears the following year a complete fertiliser with added potash will really be appreciated by these lovely trees.
My favourite among the magnolias would be Magnolia stellata, 'star magnolia', a Japanese shrub to 2.5m high and one of the first to flower each year.
From July this compact, rounded plant produces masses of open starry white flowers with a subtle fragrance. A shrub that can grow to around 2.5m high is M. stellata 'rosea', the pink form, similar in shape to my next favourite M. stellata 'waterlily' with its masses of white flowers and golden yellow foliage in autumn. These would suit smaller gardens.
Magnolia x soulangiana is another deciduous shrub that grows to around three metres high with white stained outside flowers. A mature plant can produce thousands of rosy-purple flowers in a season.
It's the parent of many cultivars, of which M. x soulangiana 'rustica ruba' with its large, faintly-scented flowers in a lovely shade of purple is one.
Two other cultivars are M. x soulangiana 'alba superba' with eye-catching large, white, tulip-shaped flowers and the multi-stemmed M. x soulangiana 'lennei' having huge flowers deep wine on the outside and white inside.
Another outstanding tree for a large garden is M. campbellii from the Himalayas bearing giant flowers varying white to pink 20 to 25cms across. This variety has attractive smooth grey bark which complements the flowers beautifully.
Diary
July 16: Australian Native Plant Society, Max Fry Hall, Gorge Road, Trevallyn, 7.30pm.
July 17: Launceston Horticultural Society, Windmill Hill Hall, High Street, 8pm. Speaker for the evening is Andrea O'Halloran from the Hillwood Strawberry Farm.
July 18 : The Launceston Orchid Society, Newnham Uniting Church Hall, 7pm. Visitors welcome.