Magnolia grandiflora

Magnolia

The original parent tree of this cultivar was 42 feet tall in 1997. This cultivar will probably remain smaller than most and will grow slower than many other magnolia cultivars. This makes it well suited for maintaining as a tall hedge.
Southern Magnolia will thrive in a moist organic soil in full sun and hot conditions once established. Southern Magnolia prefers acid soil but will tolerate a slightly basic, even wet or clay soil. Select seedlings grown from trees in alkaline soil for planting in this high pH soils. The root system is wider spreading than most other trees, extending from the trunk a distance equal to about 4 times the canopy width. This makes it very difficult to save existing Magnolia trees on construction sites, and makes transplanted trees recover slowly.
Tolerance to wet soils appears to be seed source dependent. Some trees die when exposed to sudden wet soil conditions following a heavy rain, others pull through with little apparent damage.
Southern Magnolia makes a fabulous street tree except in the extreme southeastern portion of its range (south Florida). Cities such as Charlotte use it well in this manner. Trees tend to have a low failure rate meaning that branches break from these trees less often than from some other trees. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.

Height 12-60 Feet

Spread 10-15 Feet

Bloom Color Magnolia Grandiflora 'Kay Paris' 12' Magnolia Grandiflora ' Little Gem' 40'-60'

USDA Hardiness Zone 6B to 10B

Characteristics & Attributes