Your guide to the best species and cultivars for an early display unspoiled by frost
Nine out of 10 hoi polloi who get a line the password “ magnolia ” in the Southeast think of trope of luxuriously big , creamy white flowers floating atop dingy unripe and chocolate-brown fuzzy - backed leaves ; they may even close their eyes as they recall humid air heavy with rich perfume . That picture is of the infamous Southern magnolia ( Magnolia grandiflora , Zones 7–9 ) , a stately summertime - bloom native Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . But that tenth mortal will think of perfect cuplike blooms in delicious shades of pink smothering smooth gray , bare branch set up against a blue sky . Ahhh , yes ! Those are deciduous , former spring - bloom saucer magnolias ( M.×soulangeana , Zones 4–9 ) . Along with headliner magnolias ( M. stellata , Zones 4–8 ) , and ‘ Jane ’ magnolia ( M.‘Jane ’ , Zones 4–8 ) , these are just a few of the most democratic deciduous Asiatic magnolia planted in the Southeast .
Brown-out can put a damper on an early magnolia display
What ’s not to love about a in the main cuss - detached small tree or heavy bush that puts on a show of bold , lightly fragrant flower with strappy or broad petals ( tepal , in reality ) in February or March ? Well , that would be the same small Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree smothered in large brown , droop flower during the same clock time full stop . While this frost - induct grief can happen anywhere , we are especially vulnerable to it in the Southeast because of oscillating wintertime - to - natural spring - to - winter temperature . bounce - blooming deciduous magnolias are well dulcet - talked into early blooms during our wintertime warm spells — something our native dogwoods ( Cornusspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) and redbuds ( Cercis canadensis , Zones 4–9 ) resist . But I ’m not about to suggest that magnolias are n’t worth the gamble of an periodic brown - out . In fact , my advice is to simply jab deeper into the hybrids useable to find subsequently - blooming magnolia that may dodge frost season .
Star magnolias are shrubby early bloomers with fluttery, winglike blooms
Star magnolias are shrubby ( produce 15 feet tall ) and are the earliest bloomers of all magnolia ( flower in previous January in the Carolina Piedmont ) . Their numerous , broad , strappy tepals radiate out like sheer , wiggly starbursts , but they are at higher risk of getting brown by icing . If you love that starry flush figure , seem or else for Loebner ’s magnolia ( Magnolia×loebnerii , Zones 5–9 ) . The cultivars ‘ Merrill ’ ( ashen ) and ‘ Leonard Messel ’ ( pink ) bloom later than star magnolias on a treelike form for even more dealings - stopping power in the landscape .
Saucer magnolias are garden staples that dazzle in shades of pink
Think beyond white and pink
If star magnolias and the Little Girls are old hat to you , it ’s time to get a yellow hybrid magnolia and start turning heads and fielding questions . If you ’re deposit with the subsequently - blossom selections , seek out ‘ Lois ’ magnolia . But do n’t pass up ‘ Elizabeth ’ or ‘ butterfly stroke ’ if that is all that ’s usable locally . All have gorgeous , loosely cupful - mould blooms of delicate to rich yellowness on trees strive up to 25 feet that glow in the landscape .
The accurate appointment when former spring plants begin to bloom will continue to be irregular twelvemonth to class . attempt out a afterwards flower deciduous magnolia , or take your filling from the local nursery this fall . Plant in morning sun and afternoon refinement ( void southerly photo ) with decent drainage , and look forward to many winter - saltation of beauty . The casual heartbreak of frost may sting , but it will be short - lived , and your tree will acquire just as well all summer , jell loads of bleary buds whose bursts are well worth hold off for .
— Paula Gross is the former assistant director of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Botanical Gardens .
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‘Spectrum’ magnolia centers this display of multiple species of early blooming magnolias.Photo: Jennifer Benner
Early blooming magnolias such as star and saucer magnolias may lose their blooms to a late winter frost.Photo courtesy of Evergreen Elise Photography
Star magnolias and their abundant display of flowers with many tiny, thin tepals are at the highest risk of a brown-out in the Southeast, as they bloom the earliest—in late January in some areas.Photo: Paula Gross
‘Jane’ is one of the most popular magnolia cultivars—a tried and true variety that often avoids brown-outs.Photo: Paula Gross
Yellow magnolias are eye-catching, but they also provide a calming presence with their muted buttery hues.Photo: Paula Gross
‘Picture’ magnolia is a unique cultivar of saucer magnolia, with bicolored tepals that emphasize the cupped form of the bloom.Photo: Paula Gross
