There are so many magnolia to choose from . Not only are there hundreds of species , dozens of them are common in cultivation .
Then there are the many , many cultivar and hybrids . grow magnolias is n’t hard , but prefer one to grow trusted can be !
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The first consideration when selecting a tree is your fix .
Know your USDA Hardiness Zone and pick a tree diagram that will do well in that domain . It wo n’t do if you fall in honey with a particular loan-blend only to find that it ca n’t outlive your winters .
Then , it ’s all about peg down down the size and color you want . Do n’t terror , this leaning will help with that .
These are 23 of the best options out there , admit excellent species , hybrid , and cultivars of all sizes , colors , and temperature tolerances .
Here are the trees and shrubs that we ’ll go over :
23 Favorite Magnolia Varieties
You ca n’t go wrong with any of the options on this listing – unless they ’re wrong for your climate , of course of action .
But each one is more eye - catching and elegant than the last . Let ’s get to screw these splendid magnolia !
1. Anise
willow tree - leaf or aniseed magnolia ( M. salicifolia ) is native to Japan and is only for those lucky soulfulness in Zones 6 to 9 .
The large blossom have six tepal ( what we usually call flower petal ) , and each flower can arise up to six in across .
Most cultivars are pure , graceful livid , but a few have touch of blush at the base of each tepal . And the flush show up before the leaves , which means you could enjoy an early - time of year display .
Speaking of foliage , not all magnolia are beloved for their parting , but the ones on this tree emerge in the spring in bright pig orange before transition to average light-green with gray undersides .
The gray offers up a beautiful line as the trees rustle in the breeze . In the fall , they wrick golden yellow .
While the species is lovely , it has been the innovation for many , many exceptional hybrids as well .
‘ Wada ’s Memory ’ is one of the most notable cross .
It was discover at the University of Washington Arboretum in a grouping of seedlings sent over by K. Wada of Yokohama , Japan .
If you ’re a lover of magnolia , then you have intercourse him as a respected exporter of magnolia .
‘ Wada ’s Memory ’
Nature Hills Nursery carrieslive plants if you ’re interested in this worthwhile selection .
The species has a pyramidal form that matures over 10 years or so to 25 human foot marvellous . It has a compact growth wont and boom in Zones 5 to 8 .
And yes , if you ’re enquire , this species does have a clearly anise - like olfactory property in the leaves , barque , and blossom .
2. Ann
‘ Ann ’ is excellent for the great unwashed who have a minuscule area , but still require to savour the full showing of a magnolia .
This bush - similar tree is a cross betweenM. liliiflora‘Nigra ’ andM. stellata‘Rosea . ’ and it is super floriferous .
It was bred in the mid-1950s at the US National Arboretum in Washington , DC by plant geneticist Francis de Vos and horticulturist William Kosaras as part of the Little Girls series to be small but late maturing .
The goal was to breed petite plant that were just as beautiful as their parents but in a smaller software . On top of that , they hoped to engender scrub that would flower a week by and by than other magnolia to avoid the late bloom - ruin frosts .
In add-on to ‘ Ann , ’ which is the most successful of the series , you ’ll also find ‘ Betty , ’ ‘ Jane , ’ ‘ Judy , ’ ‘ Pinkie , ’ ‘ Randy , ’ ‘ Ricki , ’ and ‘ Susan . ’
The flush on ‘ Ann ’ are huge , with up to 10 tepal per peak , and each reddish - purple tepal reaches up to three inches long .
‘ Ann ’
If you ’re look for a compact tree for zone 4 to 7 that does n’t fiddle its florescence duties , grab a live three- to four - foot ‘ Ann ’ sapling atFast Growing Trees .
3. Ashe’s
Ashe ’s magnolia ( M. ashei ) is one of those plants that give way you double up the payoff when you make up one’s mind to constitute it .
It ’s positively appeal with heavily - scented white blossoms kissed with shiny fuchsia centers , so you ’re rewarded with an graceful display . But it ’s also endangered in the wilderness .
This tree only develop indigenously in the wetlands of Florida , and it can be a challenge to find in nursery .
So when you imbed one , you ’re also rewarded with the knowledge that you ’re helping to promote biodiversity and redeem an endangered species .
You might see it relegate asM. macrophyllavar.ashei , and if you equate a bigleaf with an Ashe ’s you’re able to definitely detect a resemblance .
Whether it ’s a bigleaf or its own species , it ’s worth have around , assuming you live in Zones 6 to 9 .
4. Banana Shrub
indisputable , the unopen flowers of the banana shrub ( M. figo ) can sort of resemble a banana , and they sure as shooting smell like one , but I recollect this magnolia deserves a better name .
Something that reflect its creamy yellowed peak fringe with magenta …
Maybe we should call it the sunset magnolia ? Should we start a petition ? Okay , mayhap mention industrial plant is n’t my thing .
you could also see cultivars and loanblend with blush or deep red petals if yellow is n’t your preferred people of colour .
If you live in Zones 7 to 10 and you have intercourse the scent of ripe cantaloup or banana , this is the magnolia for you .
Stellar Ruby ™
Plants By Mail carriesthe hybrid Stellar Ruby ™ , a cultivar with pink peak .
Bred by noted magnolia stock breeder Bill Smith , it ’s a cross betweenM. figovar.skinnerianaandM. figovar . Crassipes .
5. Betty
Pretty , itty - teeny-weeny ‘ Betty ’ has a orotund increase habit at 15 metrical unit tall and wide .
The tepal are vivacious reddish - purple on the exterior and white on the inside .
Part of the same Little Girl series as ‘ Ann , ’ it blooms later in the yr than some other types , so it ’s less prone to scathe from former Robert Frost .
It ’s a cross betweenM. liliiflora‘Nigra ’ andM. stellata‘Rosea , ’ with the best characteristics of both , and growers might be able-bodied to require repeat blooming in the summertime .
‘ Betty ’
If you ’re looking for a heavy display in a compact package for Zones 4 to 8,Nature Hills Nurseryhas shrubby ‘ Betty ’ in # 1 or # 3 containers .
6. Bigleaf
True to its name , bigleaf magnolia ( M. macrophylla ) has declamatory leaf than any other variety .
Not only that – this specie has the largest simple leave of any deciduous Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in all of North America . They ’re big , all right !
But countenance ’s talk about prime . Are they proportionally as bombastic ? Yep ! These also have the largest bloom of any North American indigenous tree diagram .
It ’s not all about size of it , though . The 10 - column inch ivory flowers are refined and can be all white , or they might have a purple - red splotch on the shopping mall of each petal .
The trees have a pyramidic form and can grow to be up to 40 feet tall . While the coinage plant are gorgeous , there are many excellent cultivars and loan-blend as well .
‘ Purple Spotted ’ has striking empurpled blotch on the petals , and ‘ Palmberg ’ has even larger prime , up to a substructure across , if you could trust it .
Bigleaf Magnolia
Most do well in Zones 5 to 8 , but be sure to check the specific for whatever cultivar you ’re considering .
If you want to put on a big show , break up up a live works atNature Hills Nursery .
7. Butterflies
icteric magnolia are n’t that common and yellow type that do n’t fade are even more difficult to detect .
‘ butterfly stroke ’ is a hybrid hybrid betweenM. acuminataandM. denudatawith a pyramidic ontogenesis habit that can reach up to 20 fundament high-pitched .
The flush grow in a cupful shape and can be as large as five in across . They tend to come forth all at once and last for just over a week before dropping to the primer .
This makes cleanup position intense but it pass off all at once . The leave-taking wo n’t egress until all of the flowers have fallen .
‘ butterfly ’
Nature Hills Nurserycan give you butterflies in your breadbasket . They have # 2 and # 5 container of ‘ butterfly ’ so you could bring the thaumaturgy to your garden if you live in Zones 5 to 9 .
8. Cucumber
If you conceive you lived somewhere too cold for magnolias , never fear : cucumber magnolia is here . If you postulate a magnolia that can dominate your yard , this metal money has you covered , too . It can grow intimately 100 feet magniloquent .
Also know as blue magnolia or Cucumis sativus tree , M. acuminatais both monolithic and is fearless of a literal tingle .
It acquire indigenously up into the interior of easterly Canada and can tolerate wintertime scurvy temperatures as far northwards as Zone 3 . The term “ blue ” comes from the fact that the unopen buds have a distinct blue hue , but the flower are xanthous and cream .
The downside with this case is that the flowers are fairly petite . If you ’ve gotten used to metrical unit - wide flowers , it can feel like a downgrade , but the beautiful blossoms are still several inch across and a pretty creamy yellow .
After the peak sink , a fruit - like center forms that looks distinctly like a bantam cuke when it ’s green . you may even pickle and eat them if you require , though they do n’t try out like cuke . They ’re far more citrusy .
Find tips on caring for cucumber magnolias here .
9. Felix
‘ Felix ’ ( M.x ‘ JURmag2 ’ ) is incomparable . It has massive , pes - all-inclusive , smart magenta blossoms smother a 20 - foot - tall and seven - animal foot - full tree .
Some magnolias are a second less telling when grown in cooler zone because they wo n’t bloom as abundantly , but ‘ Felix ’ is n’t fazed .
Bred by take note magnolia breeder Mark Jury and named for his Father of the Church , the blossoms are heavily fragrant , and the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree itself is sturdier than many others .
Do you subsist in Zones 5 to 9 ? This cultivar can be challenge to detect , but if you do , grab it .
10. Galaxy
This 35 - human foot - tall hybrid cultivar ignite into a richness of violet - pink heyday at the end of bare fore , like a adult clap of tepal .
If you love to produce a veer flower display in your home , this loanblend is one to have around .
‘ coltsfoot ’ was bred at the US National Arboretum in 1963 usingM. liliiflora‘Nigra ’ xM. sprengeri‘Diva ’ to combine the best of both with a dense , pyramidical tree bod that blooms belatedly enough to parry most belated frosts .
And it ’s a proficient thing , because you would n’t want to neglect out on these flowers ! They can be up to a foot across , and they have 12 petals , so they ’re incredibly striking .
‘ Galax urceolata ’
Add ‘ wandflower ’ to your garden cosmos by heading toNature Hills Nurseryto nibble up a four- to five - foot tree in a # 3 container for your Zone 5 to 9 garden .
11. Genie
Do n’t keep this genie in a bottle . ‘ Genie ’ is a beautiful hybrid in a little package .
The tree diagram tops out around 10 feet tall , clothe up in a gown of deep burgundy , cup - form flowers growing at the end of the bare offshoot . And the blossom are anything but little , at up to seven inches across .
That ’s not the end of the show , though . This is a reliable rebloomer in Zones 5 to 9 that will put up another showing in the summer .
Created by stock breeder Vance Hooper in New Zealand usingM.x ‘ Black Tulip ’ andM.liliiflora‘Nigra , ’ it blooms after in the spring than many other type , so you may escape most of those sneaky late frosts .
habituate it in container or to make a belittled hedge .
‘ Genie ’
Nature Hills Nurserycarries this petite stand - out .
12. Lily
The lily magnolia ( M. liliiflora ) is native to China and get as a big bush or little Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree with a proportionate shape .
It blooms before the leaves issue with pinkish , over-embellished , and white goblet - mold peak with seven tepals and a celestial citrus olfactory property .
The plant can mature up to 12 by 12 feet in height and overspread but it normally stays minuscule , so it ’s idealistic for containers .
It ’s not common in North America , but this specie is wildly democratic in China and Japan . It does well in zone 5 to 8 .
13. Loebner
What do you get when you cross floriferousM. kobusand the principal - similar prime ofM. stellata ? The endearing Loebner magnolia ( M.xloebneri ) .
It ’s a mini tree diagram or big bush with petite blossoms , but the impact is anything but small .
The six - inch , pink , purple , and white flower have 15 narrow tepals , and the trees are positively covered in them . They ’re also intensely fragrant . These plant are fearless in Zones 5 to 9 .
There are loads of exceptional cultivars , including ‘ Merrill , ’ which was bred by Karl Sax , the third director of Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University from 1946 to 1954 .
It ’s a fast grower that reach out up to 25 feet or so with pure ashen flowers that have wider tepals than the species .
‘ Merrill ’
Nature Hills Nurseryhas you covered if ‘ Merrill ’ sounds like a winner to you . They have three- to four - substructure unrecorded plant in # 3 container .
‘ Leonard Messel ’
‘ Leonard Messel ’ is another option , with bicolored rosy - purple and white flowers . It ’s full-bodied and frost resistant . Snag one in a # 3 containerfrom Nature Hills Nursery .
14. Jane
‘ Jane ’ is an incredibly democratic intercrossed cultivar that ’s vigorous and stout . It will bloom even when it ’s cold than what other magnolias can tolerate , grow in Zones 4 to 8 . It can also stand firm heat .
In the spring , you ’ll be treated to purplish - red and white blossoms on plants that stay put a petite 15 feet or smaller .
‘ Jane ’ is a crown of thorns betweenM. liliiflora‘Reflorescens ’ andM. stellata‘Waterlily , ’ another member of the Little Girl series breed at the National Arboretum .
‘ Jane ’
voice like what you ’re looking for?Fast rise Treeshas one- to two- , two- to three- , or three- to four - human foot - marvelous alive tree .
15. Kobus
Kobus magnolia ( M. kobus ) is a large shrub or lowly tree with multiple prow that is aboriginal to Japan .
These typically have smaller flowers than some other coinage , but they produce a ton of them .
The trees look like they ’re covered in snow when they ’re in bloom . Even when they are n’t flower , the sorry green folio are extremely attractive .
These plants are ho-hum growers than some other mintage , which means they are n’t as prostrate to breakage . They ’re happy in Zones 5 to 8 .
16. Saucer
A cross betweenM. denudataandM. liliflora , saucer magnolias ( M.xsoulangeana ) are highly sought after hybrids with many pop cultivar .
They typically have massive , plate - sized blossoms in a broad spectrum of bloodless , pinkish , and purple hues .
They ’re also fairly cold fearless , full to go in zone 4 to 8 .
If you desire to plant the original in your garden , it ’s a gorgeous 25 - metrical unit shrub or tree that blooms extremely early in the year .
No wonder it ’s so democratic in warmer orbit ! It ’s also a fast grower , so you do n’t have to wait long for the show .
Saucer
Bring one home fromFast Growing Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
‘ Alexandrina ’ ( notAlexandria ) was introduced in 1831 by Cels of Paris , and it has been a pop dish option ever since .
The exterior of the flower is bloodless with a contrasting imperial - magenta inside , with the dark colouring at the al-Qaida of the petals .
There is a gross - white form of this plant as well , ‘ Alexandrina Alba , ’ but it ’s far less common . Even less uncouth is a form with vary leaves known as ‘ Alexandrina Variegata . ’
‘ Alexandrina ’
Make ‘ Alexandrina ’ yours and bring her home fromNature Hills Nursery .
‘ Black Tulip ’ is another special selection . The six - inch bloom are a inscrutable reddish - purpleness that looks unlike from most other magnolias .
‘ Black Tulip ’
simple root plant areavailable from Burpee .
We cover saucer magnolias in particular here .
17. Sargentiana
I thinkM. sargentianais an unsung wonder of the magnolia populace .
These can be downright majestic , completely covered in so many blossoms that you might think the tree just has pink or white leave of absence for a few weeks out of the class .
Sure , the flowers ca n’t compete in term of size with some others , but that does n’t make them any less striking .
woefully , this species is not quite as various as some of the other alternative . It needs to be embed in Zones 6 to 9 , but nurseryman in those realm are in luck .
‘ Caerhays Belle ’ is an attractive intercrossed cross ofM. sargentianaandM. sprengeri . It is absolutely cut through in salmon pinkish flowers in the spring .
I opt to stick to native options , but I ’ll make an exception for this Chinese indigene .
The species can from time to time skip or have a very reduced year in terms of flowering , so you should look for the excellent cultivars and hybrid like ‘ Caerhays Belle ’ that do n’t ask to take an occasional interruption .
18. Southern
Here ’s the classic . The one you see in all the iconic movies and TV show based in the southern US .
Southern magnolias ( M. grandiflora)are some of the most coarse in gardens in the US .
When you picture that heavy , flowering Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree immortalized in southerly literature and picture , this is the species they ’re unremarkably lecture about .
These trees are native to the south , spanning as far magnetic north as Virginia and down into Florida , and from the Atlantic Coast to eastern Texas . They can grow up to 80 feet tall and one-half as spacious , though they will stay smaller in cool regions .
Most cultivar have bombastic white or pick blossoms andthey are evergreen . They ’re open of grow as far north as Zone 6 , so do n’t assume you have to hold up in a lovesome expanse to grow these plants .
‘ Bracken ’s Brown Beauty ’ is a in particular endearing semi - evergreen cultivar with fragrant white heyday and glowering green leaves with a out of practice dark-brown bottom .
Roy Bracken discovered this beauty in 1968 in a greenhouse in South Carolina , and while the efflorescence are about half the size of other cultivars , it make up up for it in sheer volume .
The tree itself has a semi - columnlike soma , reaching 50 groundwork tall and around 20 feet wide .
‘ Bracken ’s Brown Beauty ’
tight Growing Treesships apace , offers a one - year guarantee , and carries this option in two- to three- and three- to four - understructure heights .
‘ Little Gem ’ is perfect for containers or more restricted space . Its only flaw , if you could call it that , is that it ca n’t grow north of Zone 7 . Sorry Kansas and Ohio nurseryman , but there are muckle of other gravid options for you .
Bred by Steed ’s Nursery in North Carolina in 1966 , it has a columniform shape with dense , bantam leaves and flush that emerge and stick around later on in the time of year than those of the species .
‘ Edith Bogue ’
Other good options include ‘ Edith Bogue , ’ with her large , lemony blossoms . She ’s waiting for you to convey her homefrom Fast Growing Treesas well .
‘ Kay Parris ’
If you need something diminutive , ‘ Kay Parris ’ is a dwarf that commonly stays under 20 feet grandiloquent . Nature Hills Nurseryhas this one available in a tree diagram anatomy in a # 2 container .
For a nice cold - intrepid alternative , ‘ 24 Below ’ can survive in arena that get as cold as , you reckon it , -24 ° degree Fahrenheit .
19. Star
genius magnolias ( M. stellata ) are aboriginal to Japan and have somewhat midget flowers , but they produce destiny of them .
Kind of like looking at the night sky while lying on your back , staring up at these tree diagram you ’ll notice that the flower petal are long and narrow , give each tepal the appearance of a shooting star explode across the empyrean in the spring .
This shrubby Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is sometimes labeled as a cultivar of Kobushi magnolia ( M. kobus ) , but it ’s a freestanding mintage . And it ’s various enough to grow in Zones 4 to 9 .
‘ Royal Star ’
‘ Royal Star ’ is especially floriferous and intemperately fragrant . Invite this superstar into your place by piece up a flora fromFast Growing tree .
Learn more about handle for star magnolias here .
20. Sunspire
When it comes to magnolia with a columnar growth habit , there are n’t many to choose from .
‘ Sunspire ’ is a intercrossed cross ofM.‘Woodsman ’ andM.‘Elizabeth ’ that is just the ticket for anyone who wants a columnar alternative .
At under 25 feet tall and between six and 10 feet broad , it can satisfy in those narrow dapple or stand magniloquent as an anchor for your garden .
As you might have inferred from the name , the flower petal are gay scandalmongering , and the flowers have a tulip - like conformation .
‘ Sunspire ’
Here come the sun , footling darlin ’ ! fetch ‘ Sunspire ’ home fromNature Hills Nurseryin a # 2 container if you be in Zones 5 to 8 .
21. Sweetbay
Sweetbays ( M. virginiana ) are a southern classic that can be discover by their moody green leaves with a silvery underside .
Most other magnolias either have the same fleeceable color on both slope of the leaf or the undersurface is a sort of rust color .
The lemon - scented flowers are about three inches across and toss off out in previous spring , lasting for several weeks .
The leave of absence are less leathery than those of the closely - interrelate southern magnolia , and the peak are slenderly smaller . But do n’t let that turn you away . Though they ’re tiny , they make for a mighty display just in diaphanous number .
The double-dyed white blossom tend to be profoundly cupped , on trees that grow about 50 feet tall and half as wide . This species is hardier thanM. grandiflora , boom as far north as Zone 5 .
appreciation might be far from your mind when considering a magnolia to grow , but the tepals I ’ve tried are some of the best .
They ’re wakeful , floral , and slightly citrusy , with a strong enough texture and a modest enough flavor to lend themselves well to a range of dishes . Plus , you get so many of them on each tree diagram !
If you want ashade treethat provide beautiful blossoms and is tough enough to outlast even in standing piss , this is the reply .
Sweetbay Magnolia
Fast Growing Treescarries two- to three- , three- to four- , and four- to five - foot live tree if the glorious sweetbay fathom like the gross thing for your garden .
22. Yellow Bird
Imagine a goldfinch light on the edge of the ramification of a tree . Now , imagine thousands of them on the same tree .
‘ Yellow Bird ’ is anM. acuminatacultivar with bright yellow , tulip - shaped blossoms that emerge by and by in spring , at the same time as the leaf rather than prior to the farewell .
The welfare of this timing is that the heyday are less likely to be expose to late - time of year frosts .
But you might not know the leaves are even there when the tree is covered in those yellow avian flowers !
This is a vigorous grower that tops out at about 40 feet , and it does well in Zones 4 to 8 .
‘ Yellow Bird ’
Give ‘ Yellow Bird ’ a home in your garden , no bird food required , by picking up a six- to 10 - in treeat Amazon .
23. Yulan
Yulan magnolias ( M. denudata ) are also bonk as lily or tulip Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , and it ’s altogether obvious why .
The trees , which are considered to be some of the most beautiful of all magnolias , are covered in pure blank tulip - shaped blossoms .
But these should n’t be confuse with the easy green and orange blooms ofthe tulip poplar tree ( Liriodendron tulipifera ) , also commonly referred to as tulip tree .
At first glance , you would probably think that the tree has white foliage , that ’s how many heyday there are on the tree .
Even when it ’s not in bloom of youth , it has beautiful average unripe leaves on an erect , symmetrical tree . It ’s also versatile enough to maturate in zone 4 through 9 .
It ’s a Taiwanese aborigine that can be a little intriguing to find on the marketplace , but there are tidy sum of dear hybrids bred from it , such as ‘ Elizabeth , ’ ‘ butterfly stroke , ’ and saucer magnolia , so watch for those .
So Many Magnolias, So Little Time
If I had estate and acres of land , I ’d grow hundreds of magnolias . The moment the fuzzy slight buds start egress in late winter , I get a little thrill .
It ’s only a few weeks until the striking blossoms are blanketing the trees . I can only imagine the joyfulness of seeing hundreds of trees in heyday at once .
Alas , I ’ll have to finalize for just a few trees . But knowing about some of the good options out there makes it well-situated to pick , right-hand ?
And if you need a refresher onhow to develop magnolia , check out our guide .
Where one tree is good , more are better . If you require togrow some other excellent landscape trees , we have a few guides that can aid you on your journey , including :
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About
Kristine Lofgren
