Southern Magnolias – a true classic.

admin — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:50:11 +0000

You will be hard pressed to find anyone who isn’t familiar with the southern magnolia. Those large glossy green leaves and creamy white flowers are a symbol or southern charm. The leaves and seed pods also adorn many a mantle during the Christmas season. The tree is just plain hard to resist. Caring for a southern Magnolia is easy. Plant in Full Sun to Partial Shade in a wind protected area. You can also use Wilt-Pruf (anti-transpirant) to help prevent wind burn in the winter. They like well drained soil rich in nutrients. Fertilize twice a year, the week around St. Patrick’s Day and Thanksgiving with Holly-Tone.

Cultivars Worth Noting
‘Little Gem’ - Prized for small lawns. Can grow 15 to 20 ft in zones 6-7. Great specimen plant with smaller, very fragrant flowers and leaves that are rust colored on the underside.
‘D.D. Blanchard’ – 30 to 60 feet tall, large flowers and large dark green leaves with rusty almost orange undersides.
‘Brackens Brown Beauty’ – 30 to 40 feet tall, dense compact growth habit of ovate 8″ long leaves and an almost hairy underside of brown . Large fragrant flowers. The industry standard.
‘Teddy Bear’- 20 to 40ft. New variety with 6-8″ flowers and full sized leaves heavily brown felted on the underside.

Toby Reynolds, Ronny’s Garden World

Ronnys Garden World Blog » magnolia

Southern Magnolias – a true classic.