Magnolia Flower Power

A classic sign of Spring… flowering Magnolia trees & shrubs.

White, pink, violet, yellow… we can’t get enough color after a long winter! Here are a few of our favorite spring-blooming Magnolia trees and shrubs that are reliable and low maintenance in our zone 5. For best results, plant in early spring while the weather is cool and the rain is plentiful… and you’ll enjoy gorgeous flowers every year! Some magnolias can live 50+ years. 

Magnolia ‘Ann’ (top right): This hybrid magnolia is in the ‘Little Girl’ series. It has a shrubby form and is low growing with bright pink, cup-shaped flowers (approx. four inches wide). It’s a beautiful and fragrant addition to the spring landscape. Deciduous.

LIGHT: Full sun

WATER: Water deeply when dry.

BLOOMS: Fragrant, 3-4″ flowers, pink-purple outside and white inside. Blooms in mid to late March, before leaves bud out. Some blossoms reappear in summer months.

SIZE: Slow growing. Matures to 10-12′ tall and wide. 

Why We Like It:

• Use as a flowering shrub or small tree for foundation plantings, shrub borders, in a woodland or as an informal hedge.
• Blooms 2-4 weeks later than the Star Magnolia, which reduces the chances of frost damage to the flowers.

Magnolia ‘Dr. Merrill’ (top left): Vigorous, large shrub or small tree with a dense, branching habit. The fragrant, double white flowers, blushed with pink, open in mid-spring before leaves come out.  Blooms at an early age. With dark green foliage throughout spring and summer, the pointy leaves turn copper-bronze in fall. Deciduous.

LIGHT: Full sun

WATER: Moderate moisture and prefers a well-drained soil.

BLOOMS: Early Spring with double white flowers with pink touches.

SIZE: Fast growing up from 20 – 30′ tall and reaching 20-25′ wide.

Why We Like It:

• Fragrant, starry white flowers
• Early bloomer
• Copper leaves in fall
• An excellent accent tree because of its smaller size and shrub-like form. Place in front or back landscapes to provide accents or anchors or around  a deck or patio to provide screening. Plant at least 10′ away from buildings.

Magnolia ‘Elizabeth’ (bottom left): A stunning, Magnolia with a profusion of elegantly tapered buds that open to large fragrant, primrose-yellow flowers in spring. Pyramidal form. Deciduous.

LIGHT: Full sun to part shade

SOIL: Best grown in organically rich, neutral to slightly acidic, well-drained soil.

SIZE: Matures up to 20-35′ tall and 12-20′ wide. Best enjoyed as a flowering tree.

BLOOMS: Showy, yellow flowers in March/April.

Why We Like It:

• Fragrant, yellow flowers
• A beautiful tree form
• Low maintenance, once established
• Tolerates air pollution
• Handles a wide range of temperatures… -20 in winter and 100+ in summer.

Magnolia ‘Galaxy’: A profusion of dark, red- purple flowers that appear on bare stems… after danger of frost… followed by large, bright green leaves on a sturdy, upright tree. ‘Galaxy’ is a single-stemmed, tree-form magnolia with ascending branches… the perfect shape for narrow planting sites. 

LIGHT: Full sun

SOIL: Adaptable to many soils but thrives in deep, nutrient-rich, slightly acidic, well-drained, loamy soil.

SIZE: Reaches 30-35′ tall and 15-20′ wide

BLOOMS: Reddish-purple flowers that bloom on bare stems later in spring. 

Why We Like It:

• Nice single specimen
• Make it the centerpiece of a planting in the lawn.
• Add to the end of shrub borders to give a sense of closure.
• Easy care

Magnolia ‘Sweet Bay’: A handsome semi-evergreen with 2-3″ creamy-white, lemon scented flowers with glossy, green leaves. Multi-stemmed, pyramidal and upright forms. Unlike other Magnolias, it can tolerate wet, boggy soil.

LIGHT: Partial sun

SOIL: Tolerates wet, boggy soil

SIZE: 12-20′ tall and wide

BLOOMS: Creamy white flowers with a lemon scent in early spring

Why We Like It:

• Glossy, green leaves and lemon scent
• Perfect for smaller suburban landscapes where M. grandifora is too large. Tall form is ideal for separating multi-story homes or for shading side yards.
• Deer and rabbit resistant
• North American native
• Can be used as a shade tree.

Magnolia ‘Royal Star’ (bottom right):  A dainty, early bloomer with large, fragrant double white flowers that emerge in spring and appear before the dark green foliage. Useful as an open-branched, multi-trunk large shrub or as a small, single tree. Deciduous.

LIGHT: Full sun

SOIL: Does best in moist, well-drained soils. Water deeply when dry.

SIZE: Grows from 10-15′ tall and 10-12′ wide.

BLOOMS: Fragrant, double white flowers bloom before foliage leafs out in early to mid-spring.

Why We Like It:

• Excellent choice for moonlight and all-white gardens
• Beautiful in old-fashioned cottage gardens
• Perfect size for courtyards, townhouses and condo gardens
• Easy care; non-toxic to cats & dogs
• Tolerates deer and drought
• Nice fall color
• Excellent tolerance for heat and cold