How to Plant Magnolia Trees From a Seed Pod

Grow magnolia from seed.

Propagate magnolia trees from seed if you have time to wait. Magnolias grown from stem cuttings tend to bloom in three to five years, according to Texas A&M University, while those grown from seed can take up to 15 years to flower. Occasionally, you'll see volunteer magnolia seedlings under a mother tree. They probably grew from seed over a period of years. Collect and prepare magnolia seed pods carefully, to slightly speed this process.

Things You'll Need

• Newspaper
• Small bowl
• Plastic bag
• Peat
• Sand
• Seed tray
• Potting soil
• Small containers

Instructions

1. Collect magnolia fruit when it ripens into seed cones in September and October. Fruits will be reddish, up to 3 inches long, dry and hard to the touch.

2. Lay the fruits out on a sheet or two of newspaper to dry further. When they're ready, they will open up. Shake out the seeds into a small bowl of warm water to soak for 24 hours. Rinse them every four to five hours to help remove the seed coats.

3. Give the seeds a final rinse. Fill a plastic bag with a moist mixture of equal parts peat and sand and mix the seeds into it. Seal the bag and place in your refrigerator for the winter. This process, called cold stratification, mimics outdoor conditions and is necessary for magnolia germination.

4. Plant the magnolia seeds in the spring. Fill a seed tray with potting soil and sprinkle the seed mixture from the plastic bag on the top. Cover with 1/4 inch of moist potting soil, tamping it down to ensure good contact of seeds with dirt. Keep in a warm, sunny room, keeping the soil uniformly moist until sprouting occurs in two to four weeks.

5. Transfer individual seedlings into their own pots of soil when they reach a height of 2 inches. Take them outside to acclimate in a sheltered area that gets 50 percent sun per day (partial shade). Transfer into the landscape in late summer.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't try to plant grass under magnolia trees. Their shallow, fibrous roots create too much competition for nutrients for grass to survive.

• Do not overwinter magnolia seeds at room temperature. Seeds will lose their viability without cold stratification.

References

• Texas A&M University: Southern Magnolia
• University of Washington Botanic Garden: Gardening Answers Knowledgebase
• North Carolina State University: Overcoming Seed Dormancy

Resources

• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Magnolia Macrophylla