Southern magnolia exudes southern charm

On a recent group tree identification hike in a Leon County park, I found it interesting that the one tree everyone could identify was southern magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora.

And it’s no wonder, as southern magnolias have distinctive large dark green glossy leaves that reflect sunlight dramatically. The leaves are paler green underneath with a rusty and somewhat fuzzy covering. The bark is generally gray, developing scaly plates with age. These stately trees can grow to 90 feet in height and are hallmarks of a mature southern forest.

In late spring into summer, magnolias produce creamy white saucer-shaped blooms that can be as large as dinner plates. These are highly fragrant with a lemony smell. Often people don’t notice the blossoms as they are high in a large tree’s canopy, so take the time to look up.

After the blooms fade, they develop into distinctive cone-like seed pods with bright red seeds on the surface. Birds will feed on these seeds, and eventually the seed pods will drop off the tree.

If you plant the native variety, make sure you give southern magnolia plenty of space, as not only do they grow tall, but they also grow 30 to 40 feet wide. These are evergreen trees, but they do drop leaves, primarily in the spring.

With their large leaves and dense canopies, your magnolia will produce a deeply shaded area under the tree where only shade-loving plants will grow. Don’t hesitate to just create a mulched area under your tree or plant a ground cover like mondo grass.

Southern magnolias can be planted in sun or shade and prefer moist, well-drained, acidic soils. It's a good idea to plant them within defined landscape beds rather than a lawn, since the trees shed leaves and seedpods each spring and also produce surface roots over time. These trees are considered some of the best in terms of wind resistance, although hurricane force winds may strip them of leaves.

Southern magnolia leaves

If you are familiar with southern magnolia, you may be thinking, “but aren’t those leaves problematic?” I’m aware of homeowners who curse their southern magnolias because the large leaves land on their manicured lawns and decompose slowly.

I have 10 of these trees on my property, so I’m experienced with magnolia leaves on a lawn. If you use a lawn mower with a mulching feature, after mowing you’ll have no evidence that those leaves were ever present. Remember that leaving grass clippings and shredded leaves on your lawn adds nutrients equal to one fertilizer application per year.

Another complaint I’ve heard is that as magnolia leaves are slightly cupped, any overturned leaves on the ground will catch rainwater or water from irrigation. The thought is that these leaves then provide habitat for mosquito eggs and larvae. But there’s actually been research into this potential issue, and it turns out that the water on the leaves does not last long enough to enable mosquito breeding.

Available cultivars

You’ll find a variety of cultivars of southern magnolia at local nurseries. D.D. Blanchard grows to 50 feet with a 30-foot canopy and is known for blooming over a long period, with heavy blooming in the spring and additional flowers on and off into the fall. It does best in full to part sun and is a slow grower with an upright growth habit. The leaves are rusty bronze on the undersides in lovely contrast to the dark green glossy tops.

Bracken’s Brown Beauty is a popular cultivar so named for the brown color of the undersides of the leaves. This variety typically has a straight trunk with shorter branches creating an oval-shaped crown. These trees attain a height of 30 to 50 feet with a 15 to 20 foot spread and grow somewhat faster than other cultivars or the native tree. To maintain the beautiful form of this tree, it is recommended that branches growing low to the ground not be removed.

Smaller southern magnolia cultivars

Smaller cultivars are also available locally. Little Gem is a popular tree frequently seen in multiples in commercial plantings. This cultivar of southern magnolia has a compact, upright growth habit more typical of a multi-stemmed shrub than a single-trunked tree.

It grows at a slow rate to a height of 30 to 35 feet with an eight to 12-foot spread and flowers at two or three years old. It is not surprising to see this magnolia bloom when it is only three or four feet tall. Little Gem forms a dense, dark green oval or pyramidal shape, making it well-suited for screen planting. While Little Gem makes a great specimen tree, a cluster of three trees planted three to five feet apart will produce a nice full canopy, and these can even be pruned into a hedge, flowering regularly on new growth.

Teddy Bear, AKA Southern Charm, is a slow-growing cultivar of southern magnolia that looks like a miniature version of the full-sized native tree. It maintains a narrow upright pyramidal shape growing only to 15 to 20 feet with a spread of 10 to 12 feet.

Teddy Bear gets its name from leaves that are deep green and glossy above with dense reddish-brown fur on the underside. The flowers of this cultivar are about six inches across, and this variety does not seem to bloom as heavily as some others.

Pests on southern magnolias

Magnolias are hardy trees, but, like any plant, they can attract insect pests. Scale insects of various types may infest twigs and leaves. Magnolia scale is the most common scale and can be one half-inch-across. Overwintering scales can be controlled with horticultural oil. Affected trees appear to grow fine even with heavy infestations, although they can be unsightly.

Twig borers may also be problematic, especially on Little Gem, but, if you trim your tree often and clean up the debris, you can keep this insect in check.

Southern magnolias and their cultivars are beautiful trees that will grace your landscape with true southern charm, given enough room and appropriate soil and moisture conditions. Why don’t you give one or more a try in your yard?

Susan Barnes is a Master Gardener Volunteer with UF/IFAS Leon County Extension, an Equal Opportunity Institution. For gardening questions, email AskAMasterGardener@ifas.ufl.edu.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Southern magnolia exudes southern charm