Plant ID card |
|
|---|---|
Botanical name |
Magnolia soulangeana, Magnolia x soulangeana. |
Common name |
Magnolia from Soulange. |
Family |
Magnoliaceae. |
Origin |
Crossing of Magnolia denudata (China) and Magnolia liliflora (China). |
Dimensions |
6 meters in height and 4 meters in width, with moderate growth. |
Foliage |
Deciduous, elongated and shiny, dark green leaves. |
Bloom |
Large, fragrant cream and pink flowers, shaped like tulips with thick petals, which appear in March-April, before the leaves. |
Exposure |
Sun or partial shade. |
Ground |
Deep, humus, fresh, drained, rich in organic matter. Magnolias do not tolerate soils that are too calcareous. |
Rusticity |
Hardy, the Soulange magnolia can withstand temperatures between -22°C and -29°C. |
The magnolia is one of the oldest flowering trees.
Resulting from the crossing of two species,
Magnolia denudata
and
Magnolia liliflora
,
Magnolia soulangeana
is considered a bushy shrub or a small tree with multiple trunks, of great beauty.
Easy to grow and very robust, the Soulange magnolia also has the advantage of being very resistant to atmospheric pollution which can affect city gardens.
When and where to plant
Magnolia soulangeana
?
Plan to plant your M
agnolia soulangeana
from mid-August to November in mild climates
or during spring, from March to May in colder areas.
Choose a sunny or partially shaded location: 6/7 hours of light per day is ideal.
Be sure to protect it well
cold winds.
Just as for the
Magnolia stellata, fresh, well-drained soil will help your
Magnolia soulangeana
flourish .
Choose a sunny or partially shaded location: for your Soulange magnolia, with 6 or 7 hours of light per day ideally.
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No use without permission.
How to plant a magnolia soulangeana?
Dig a large pit and add heather soil and compost in good quantities.
Check the humidity of the rootball and, if necessary, soak it one hour before planting.
Place gravel at the bottom of the hole to promote drainage.
Place the tree at the collar and stake it.
Cover with soil, pack, water with non-calcareous water.
Lay out a layer of pine bark mulch to keep the soil cool during the summer.
Water every week in dry weather for the first few years.
Place a layer of pine bark mulch at the base of your magnolia to keep the soil cool in summer.
Copyright (c) 2020 Olga Ilinich/Shutterstock.
No use without permission.
Also read: Which small tree to choose for your garden?
How to prune
Magnolia soulangeana
?
Prune your M
agnolia soulangeana
only
after flowering
,
in autumn.
During the first few years, focus on training pruning, which involves structuring the silhouette of the tree.
Remove dead branches, cut part of the year's shoots to keep only the main branches.
After 4 or 5 years, simply cut off the old twigs and rebellious branches.
Like all magnolias, which are among the oldest flowering plants (magnolia fossils are found more than 20 million years old!),
Magnolia soulangeana
grows rather slowly.
Prune your Magnolia soulangeana only after flowering, in autumn.
Copyright (c) 2018 Gaid Kornsilapa/Shutterstock.
No use without permission.
What are the main varieties of magnolias?
There are around a hundred varieties of magnolia, with deciduous or evergreen foliage, measuring 2 to 20 meters and displaying pink, white, yellow, red or purple flowers:
Magnolia
soulangeana Alba superba:
is a large shrub (around 6 meters) with white flowers, tinged with pink at the base;
Magnolia
acuminata 'Butterflies'
:
recognizable by its pyramidal shape and yellow flowers, measures approximately 4.50 meters at maturity;
Magnolia
stellata:
one of the most floriferous, offers its white stars with silky petals from March…
There are also dwarf varieties such as
the
Magnolia liliflora 'Nigra'
,
whose compact form with a height of 2 meters is perfectly suited to small gardens, just like the dwarf Magnolia Magnolia
grandiflora Little Gem
which does not exceed 2.5 meters.
Smaller magnolias, which grow slowly, are suitable for growing in pots.