When traveling in the Southern United States, make sure to take a second to appreciate the beautiful Magnolia trees. A flowering tree that blossoms white, pink, and yellow flowers among others colors, the Magnolia has become one of the world’s most distinguishable flowering plants. During its peak blooming seasons, it releases sweet fragrances and aromas that blanket gardens lucky enough to house them. If you are considering to add these ornamental beauties into your garden, take the opportunity to learn more about this tree and its unique attributes.
The Magnolia genus is one of the most ancient life forms in the flowering plant species, appearing before bees and other pollinating life forms. Theories suggest that magnolias evolved to encourage beetle pollination. As a result, Magnolia flowers developed tough carpels and petals to prevent damage from clumsy pollinating beetles. For the most part, the Magnolia is naturally found in East and Southeast Asia, as well as in eastern North America, Central America, West Indies, and even some parts of South America.
Magnolia Trees can be both evergreen, meaning they are green all year-round, or deciduous, susceptible to seasonal change. Although Magnolias are often synonymous with the state flowers of Mississippi and Louisiana, there is a great deal of variety encapsulated by the Magnolia subspecies. Magnolias are a subfamily of the larger Magnoliaceae flowering plant family, boasting about 210 flowering plants in it’s genus.
The most popular of these flowering plants are the Magnolia Grandiflora, native to the southeastern United States. Few garden trees can rival this plant’s year-round beauty, and fragrance filled flowers. Some unnamed Magnolia seedlings however can take about 10 years to fully blossom, a true drawback if you’re looking to beautify your garden in a short time. Because of their ancestral environmental adaptations, their roots are tough and thick, meaning that planting them near sidewalks and nearby curbs will inevitably create cracks and lifts in your pavement.
Southeastern Growers offers a variety of Magnolia Grandiflora, including Bracken’s Brown Beauty, Claudia Wannamaker, and Little Gem varieties. These trees can span 40 feet wide when fully mature, and can overshadow many other features in your garden. The Magnolia Virginiana is a bit more manageable in gardens, however they can be deciduous, losing their foliage the further north they are planted. Southeaster Growers offers the Magnolia Virginiana Moonglow, a unique species with sometimes distinct yellowish flowers. Other Magnolias that we offer are: Magnolia x Jade, Magnolia x Royal Star, and Liriodendron tulipifera (also part of the larger Magnoliaceae flowering plant family).
According to Southernliving.com, when selecting your planting site, make sure you choose a location with rich, well drained soil. These trees are most ornamentally pleasant when standing alone, and should therefore be planted away from other crowded areas. Since they grow fairly large with a span as wide as 40 ft. they offer a great deal of shade to your household or garden. This can result in the withering away of other plants in your garden, specifically those directly below the tree.
As an ornamental tree, Magnolias are by far one of the most beautiful additions to any garden. Be aware though that they can be quite imposing, making location a vital factor when planting them. Plant carefully and accordingly.
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