How to Pick Sturdy Magnolia Trees for Your Landscape

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Magnolia trees are a staple of the south. If you'd like to bring in some of that feeling to your landscape, here are some good choices for your lawn and garden.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step1

Magnolia grandiflora L. - southern magnolia

One of the best known trees in the south, the magnolia is a fast growing evergreen that will mature at around 60-90 feet. It has large saucer-like white flowers that are classically fragrant. Blooms appear from April to June. Magnolias are best in rich moist soils and will tolerate some shade. Plant this for a showy classic addition to your garden. Letting the leaves fall without raking provides natural ground mulch for the tree.

Step2

Magnolia macrophylla Michx. - bigleaf magnolia

Living up to its name, this magnolia has waxy leaves ranging from 20-30 inches, with whitish hairs underneath. It reaches a height of 40 feet and a spread of 15 feet. Fruits are large, similar to cones, and its flowers are fragrant and white appearing April to May. It is a slow grower and has a straight trunk. It prefers sun or partial shade. Bigleaf Magnolia is a highly ornamental tree.

Step3

Magnolia acuminata (L.) L. - cucumber-tree

This magnolia is so named because its fruit looks like a cucumber. It reaches a height and a spread of 50-80 feet. A fast grower with wide branches, it prefers full sun or partial shade. Its fragrant green white flowers will appear in spring and come fall will have yellow bronze color.

Step4

Magnolia tripetala (L.) L. - umbrella-tree

With one to two foot diamond shaped leaves, the umbrella tree really is a canopied marvel. It gets up to 40 feet tall and has a 20-30 foot spread. It will have several trunks and large showy flowers that are typical to the magnolia taxa. Its cone like fruit will mature in August or September and is pollinated by beetles. This magnolia prefers partial shade or full shade and is not drought tolerant. An ornamental favorite for any garden, this tree will do you proud.