Magnolias are among the most glamorous and aristocratic of spring flowers, coming in a wide range of colours and sizes to suit every garden. It’s the early-flowering species and cultivars – those that bloom before their leaves emerge – that are the real harbingers of spring and give such glorious impact as our gardens awaken from their winter slumber.
In the wild, magnolias are woodland plants, often growing on forested mountain slopes in the shelter of other trees and shrubs. The Himalayan species, and newer introductions from Vietnam, are often better suited to coastal gardens with high rainfall, while those from China tend to be hardier and easier to grow in colder gardens inland. All love shelter, humus rich, water-retentive yet free-draining soil, and their canopy in full sun to encourage flower bud formation in late summer and early autumn.
In large gardens, magnolias can be grown among trees and shrubs – a perfect scenario where they have a rich leaf-litter layer at their feet and critically, shelter from the wind. It’s possible to simulate these conditions for more isolated specimens by mulching and feeding around the base of the trees until they’re fully established. If your soil isn’t moisture retentive, dig in plenty of well-rotted garden compost at planting time. Most magnolias prefer acidic to neutral soils, though several, including M. dawsoniana, M. stellata and M. x loebneri, are quite happy even in heavily alkaline soils.
Choose a magnolia whose size is appropriate for your garden and bear in mind that it’s best to only carry out formative pruning (shaping of the plant when young), as severe cutting back can ruin the form of plants once established. Pests and diseases are few, though slugs can cause damage to young plants. For rabbits and hares the bark of newly planted magnolias seems akin to caviar, so use tree guards. Visiting deer are best deterred by fencing and wire netting.
In a mild winter, buds can begin to swell as early as January, so to avoid them being spoiled by sudden spring frosts, their position in the garden is all-important. To avoid damage to the expanding flowers, don’t plant the tree in frost pockets or east-facing situations. Strong early morning sunshine following a particularly heavy frost can spell disaster, blackening new growths, damaging flowers and, worst of all, splitting bark. Many of the hybrids have been bred from hardy species to avoid this, and in cold areas it’s hard to beat stalwarts such as lilac-pink M. x loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’.Many deciduous species and hybrids have brittle branches, so for taller selections it’s vital to provide protection from the south-westerlies that can wreak havoc during winter and spring gales. Climate change has interrupted the pattern of storms across Britain and Ireland, introducing devastating gusts from easterly winds, meaning wetter winters and hot, dry summers. One of the best magnolias adapted to these conditions is M. × soulangeana and its superb cultivars, such as ‘Étienne Soulange-Bodin’, ‘Lennei Alba’ or ‘Pickard’s Ruby’. By planting small trees close to buildings you can also add shelter – most don’t have deep root systems so rarely cause damage.
Magnolias make perfect planting partners for other spring-interest shrubs, such as camellias, maples and dogwoods. An added, oft-forgotten bonus, is scent – many are exquisitely fragrant. Breeding continues and the colour range is expanding, with an increasing number of yellows, including wonderful M. ‘Lois’ agm, M. ‘Yellow Lantern’ agm and M. ‘Elizabeth’ agm, or even blue-tinted, as in the exciting M. acuminata ‘Blue Opal’. Plant one today and you’ll get many years of enjoyment.
Where to see magnolias: