Blooming Magnolia Tree

Carol Come To The Garden, Nature

Magnolia grandiflora, Southern Magnolia, is a native of Florida and the southeastern U.S. It is one of the most widely grown trees in Florida and also one of the most widely cultivated Magnolias in the world. It is a large, stately, evergreen tree that can grow 30 to 80 feet tall with canopies spreading 30 to 50 feet wide. 

 

I live in a neighborhood of small yards. Quite a few homeowners have magnolia trees. It’s a pleasure to drive through the neighborhood and see the magnolia trees in various sizes. They all are covered in blooms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I had a bigger yard, I would plant a magnolia tree. My neighbor down the street has a nice size tree for the yard, but it still has lots of growing to do.  It already dominates the small yard.  I hate to think of an 80 foot tree in front of that house.  It would damage the foundation long before maturity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other day I was driving in the parking lot of a strip mall and noticed all the small magnolias planted. Are they planning on trimming them constantly in the future to contain the size?  Drivers will never be able to see if all those little trees were fully grown.  They look beautiful but it did make me wonder. What are they thinking?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I lived on a large lot, I would definitely plant a magnolia tree. They can grow in Zones 7-10, depending on the variety, with a few cultivars hardy to zone 5. Light needs: Full sun to partial shade. Moist, peaty soil can help magnolias tolerate full sun.  Experts advise planting your tree at least 20 feet from your house due to its size at maturity. Its roots in the future can damage your home.

 

 

 

 

With large 8 inch diameter saucer-shaped white flowers and dark green oval shiny leaves, I can see why they are so popular. Blossoms open up in late spring and sporadically during the summer offering showy white color, mixed in with dark green foliage. In the fall and early winter fuzzy brown cones will ripen producing bright red seeds which are used by various wildlife such as birds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Carol

I was raised in Tennessee but have lived in Florida for many years. Love my small home in the Tampa Bay area and its developing garden. My decorating style is eclectic - some vintage, some cottage, all with a modern flair. Pursuing a healthier lifestyle. Spent many years in social services but am happily retired.

66 thoughts to “Blooming Magnolia Tree”

    1. You might have a difference variety which doesn’t get as big as the southern magnolia. I’m sure it’s gorgeous thorugh.

      Reply

  3. HI Carol, I think you may have answered a question I have asked locals before. Outside a local office there is a tree that looks very much like this and it was the flowers that caught my eye! When I have a moment I’m going to take a stroll and check it out again… As beautiful as the flowers are it does seem a shame ( and a tad daft) to plant such large trees so close to a building!

    xx

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    1. The variety of magnolia is probably different. Find out what kind grows in your area and what size it reaches. As I said I see loads of small magnolias planted in small spaces that will never be able to handle a full grown tree.

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      1. The tree I suspect is a magnolia is a big tree, similar size to the one in your photo and it’s the only tree I’ve noticed like it. What caught my eye were these huge flowers. I did ask a couple of locals what it wasbut they didn’t know either. I’ve not had a chance to check it ou since reading your post, but I will when I have time.

        Thank you for linking up with #keepingitreal

        xx

        Reply

  4. We lived on Catalpa Circle and our cousins on Magnolia Lane so I guess they had magnolias, I don’t really remember but there are lots of pretty trees here. Your neighborhood sounds very fertile but it does make you think about the root system and foundations and such.

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  5. There are large (some huge) magnolia trees in the residential part downtown. I’m always surprised when they bloom because I don’t think of magnolia trees residing in California. If we had the room, I’d plant one in the front yard.

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  6. Oh Magnolia – I used to live in a neighborhood, where the whole street was lined with magnolia trees on the sidewalk – giving it a magnificent and stately atmosphere – I love this flower so much I painted on one a 24 x 30 canvas. You can see it in this post (2nd flower) on my art web site
    Enoy! https://artnotes2016.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/flowers-miscellaneous-sizes/ ‎
    Lovely post Carol and thank you much sharing it with All Seasons! Jesh

    Reply

  8. Magnolias are gorgeous. My aunt has one in her yard that I have watched grow since I was a child. It is huge and it blooms beautifully but it sheds a lot of leave too. She and my uncle used to pay me to rake them when I was young. Good memories.

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  16. They are so pretty! Being from Nebraska, we just get small ones here. They don’t have those big pod things. When I went to live in Savannah, GA I asked what those things were all over the ground? My roommate from Ocean City, MD couldn’t believe I didn’t know. They are pretty cool! I love them!

    A friend of ours named their daughter Nolia off of Magnolia. I liked her name even more when I learned that.

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  18. Down here in South Florida, we have some new hybrid Magnolia that I have seen crop up over the last 8-10 years or so. It is a rather small variety, not anywhere near as big as what you would see closer to Orlando.
    But…I am happy to have them…they do bloom very nicely!

    Thanks for sharing!

    – Lisa

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  19. I have seen a few of these tree’s and love them. I would love one in my garden but mine is a bit small. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing at The Wednesday Blog Hop 🙂

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    1. Everyone has growing zones but you may not use them as much as some of us in the US. Our country is so large the variation in growing zones is huge. You made me curious and I just looked up growing zones in the UK. This is a quote: “The United Kingdom lies in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6 through 9 with some variations across regions and seasons.”

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  21. Southern Magnolias are a magnificent tree. They are however, not meant to be pruned. They are meant to have their foliage from the ground to the sky. That is how they are really beautiful and you are correct they do not belong in a small yard. I have seen all sorts of dreadful pruning done to them and my only thought is people must never have seen how they are meant to grow. I appreciated and enjoyed your post very much.

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    1. I just drove by the public library and 3 magnolias were planted right next to one side of the library. In a few years, they’ll have to cut them down. What kind of landscaping professional does that?

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  22. Carol, we planted a magnolia when we built our home 39 years ago. It has been a slow grower and the leaves really blow in our strong winds and make a mess. However, I love the Southern charm of a magnolia.. Thanks for sharing at Gardens Galore.

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  26. I absolutely love magnolia trees but our yard is all sun except for late afternoon when we do start to get shade in the back side of our home. Some people have them here in Texas and there again, they are planted to close to fence line or house / building foundation.
    I had talked to a nursery person here at a well known nursery center and they mentioned to me that a magnolia tree should be planted at least 40 feet from house, sheds, fence line, etc.. Also not close to a sewer line because of the root system that they get.

    Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos

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  28. Hi Carol, I’m sure that the beautiful tree outside some local offices is a magnolia tree. I did once ask inside and no one knew. It was the flowers that attracted my attention. Not unlike waterlillies, but white and in a tree.

    xx

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  29. Such beautiful flowers. I see them occasionally in my area. It does seem like poor planning to plant a bunch of small ones in a parking lot.

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  33. I grew up in the moutain west where there are no magnolias. One of the greattings about moving further east are the magnolia trees. I love them, especially when they are full grown and spread all out, clear down to the ground. My in-laws house in southeast Oklahoma had one and it was magnificent.

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  34. Hello Carol,
    I worry about some of the big trees we have around our home. The magnolia is beautiful, I love the blooms.
    I think we have a different species of magnolia here growing wild in the forest. Take care, enjoy your day! Wishing you a happy weekend!

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    1. I’ve read that there are many varieties of magnolias in the world but I only know the southern magnolia – Happy Friday!

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  39. Thank you Carol. The problem is, as you point out, people don’t do their homework properly before they buy. Magnolias are beautiful but we had to trim our own Magnolia Susan when it started to take over a neighbour’s garden. It is now down to a manageable size.

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    1. I’ve even seen “professionals” do stupid things like the grounds dept of New Port Richey planted young magnolia right next to the library windows to shade them. They are now hugging the building. Insane.

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  43. Southern magnolias are a very majestic tree if given enough room to grow. Personally I don’t care for them much…just a personal preference. I planted a sweetbay magnolia which I prefer, but it’s blooms are so high up because of the competition of the other trees, one cannot view them close up 🙁

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  44. I fell in love with these trees when I lived in Georgia! Surprisingly, I see them here and there in New Zealand, but they don’t seem to flower as much as those in the states.

    It’s great to see you at ‘My Corner of the World’ this week!! Thanks for being here.

    Reply

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