How to Care for Young Magnolia Trees in Florida

The white blossoms of the magnolia offer a sweet, lemony fragrance.

Native to Florida, the southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) and the sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana var. australis) grow as evergreens and have acclimatized themselves to the region. The southern magnolia occurs in north and central Florida, but the sweetbay magnolia is dispersed all the way into the Everglades. Both are considered a major, dominant forest species in the state, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Despite being widespread in woodland and marsh areas in Florida, both trees and their cultivars are popular as landscape ornamentals.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Mulch (bark chips or recycled plastic)
• Bone meal
• Aged manure

Instructions

1. Plant the sweetbay magnolia tree in an area with moist, fertile, slightly acidic soil. The tree grows well along ponds, marshes, swamps and streams. The southern magnolia requires well-draining fertile soil. Choose a planting location in the full sunlight or partial shade. The sweetbay magnolia prefers partial shade but will grow in full sunlight.

2. Dig a hole twice as large as the tree's root system. Plant the young magnolia tree at the same level in the soil it was planted within its nursery container. Tamp the soil down around the tree's root system to remove any air pockets.

3. Water the young magnolia tree regularly. Keep the soil moist to ensure that the tree establishes itself adequately.

4. Apply 3 to 4 inches of mulch around the tree's base to keep the young tree's root system moist during the hot summer months. Keep the mulch away from the trunk of the tree.

5. Pull up any seedlings that grow around the magnolia tree. Both the sweetbay magnolia and the southern magnolia spread quickly by seeds and seedlings will readily establish themselves around the base of the parent tree if not promptly removed.

6. Work bone meal and aged manure into the soil around the base of the magnolia tree in January. The soil should feel crumbly to the touch.

Tips & Warnings

• In the state of Florida, the southern magnolia can attain a height of 100 to 125 feet.

• The sweetbay magnolia grows to a height of 35 feet.

• Once established, the southern magnolia can withstand periods of drought well.

• Plant magnolia trees during the fall months in Florida. Fall planting enables the tree to establish itself before the hot heat of summer arrives.

• The sweetbay magnolia tree does not tolerate drought well. It requires moist soil to thrive even when fully mature and established.

• The leaves that accumulate under the magnolia tree make it virtually impossible to grow grass under the tree's canopy. The leaves can remain below the tree as a natural mulch.

References

• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Magnolias
• Floridata: Magnolia Grandiflora
• University of Florida IFAS School of Forest Resources & Conservation: The Magnolia Family
• U.S. Forest Service: Southern Magnolia
• City of Orlando: Flowering Trees for Central Florida
• Missouri Botanical Garden: Magnolia Virginiana

Resources

• U.S. Forest Service: Magnolia Virginiana
• Floridata: Magnolia Virginiana
• Mississippi Forestry Commission: Southern Magnolia
• Walton Outdoors: Fall is the Best Time to Plant Trees Along Florida's Gulf Coast
• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Native Trees for South Florida