Leonard Messel magnolia

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; flowering is usually best in sun. Give it afternoon shade in hotter climates and shelter from strong winds.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist but not waterlogged, especially during establishment. Water established trees during prolonged dry spells.

Soil

Moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil, preferably acidic to neutral. It tolerates some mildly alkaline soils but may develop yellow leaves on strongly alkaline ground.

Height

15-25 ft (4.5-7.5 m)

Spread

15-25 ft (4.5-7.5 m)

Flowers

Early to mid-spring, before the leaves emerge; narrow, strap-shaped petals are purplish pink outside and pale pink to nearly white inside, with a light fragrance.

Foliage

Oval, medium-green leaves turn yellow to yellow-brown in autumn; autumn colour is variable.

Growth

Slow to moderate; allow several decades for its full size.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Fragrant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   7 ft (2.2 m)

3. After 2 years

   8 ft (2.3 m)

4. After 3 years

   8 ft (2.5 m)

5. After 5 years

   9 ft (2.8 m)

About 26 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant with the root flare at soil level in a sheltered position outside a frost pocket.
• Water deeply through dry periods for the first two or three growing seasons.
• Spread 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch over the root zone, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Avoid digging beneath the canopy; magnolias have shallow roots that are easily damaged.
• Feed in spring only if growth is weak or a soil test indicates a deficiency; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding.

Pruning. Prune only when necessary, after flowering and before late summer, removing dead, damaged or crossing branches. Keep cuts small and preserve its natural branching habit rather than clipping or hard-pruning it.

Autumn

Plant while the soil is workable in mild climates; in colder regions, plan for spring planting.

Late winter

Check mulch depth and keep mulch away from the trunk; avoid disturbing shallow roots.

Spring

Plant in cold-winter regions once the ground is workable, and water thoroughly.

Spring

Protect a small tree's opening flowers with horticultural fleece when a late frost is forecast, removing it during the day.

Late spring

After flowering, remove damaged or crossing branches only if needed.

Summer

Water deeply during prolonged dry weather, particularly while the tree is establishing.

• Use as a lawn specimen where its spreading outline and early flowers can be seen from the house.
• Place at a woodland edge with shade-tolerant spring bulbs and perennials beneath the outer canopy.
• Set behind a mixed shrub border to provide spring flowers and a leafy summer backdrop.
• Use in a generous courtyard with open soil around the roots and enough space for the mature canopy.

Garden styles it suits: English country, Woodland, Romantic rose garden, Japanese, Pastel border and Traditional.

Plant it with: Snowdrops, Hellebores, Daffodils, Epimediums, Japanese painted ferns and Japanese maples.

Wildlife: Flowers provide pollen for visiting insects, including beetles. The branching canopy offers shelter and potential nesting sites for birds.

• Late frost can brown opening flowers: choose a sheltered site away from frost pockets and cover small trees temporarily when frost threatens.
• Yellow leaves with green veins can indicate iron deficiency in alkaline soil: check soil pH and use chelated iron suitable for alkaline conditions if needed.
• Magnolia scale can cause sticky honeydew and black sooty mould, especially in North America: encourage natural predators and use a labelled horticultural oil at the appropriate pest stage.
• Leaf scorch or premature leaf drop can follow drought or root disturbance: water deeply, maintain mulch and keep digging and heavy traffic away from the root zone.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. No part is recognised as a significant poisoning hazard, but it is an ornamental plant rather than a food plant, and eating plant material may cause stomach upset.

• Star magnolia (Magnolia stellata)

  Usually smaller and more shrub-like, with predominantly white flowers; pink cultivars can be difficult to distinguish without a reliable label.

• Merrill magnolia (Magnolia × loebneri 'Merrill')

  Has white rather than distinctly pink flowers and generally develops a larger, more upright tree form.

• Saucer magnolia (Magnolia × soulangeana)

  Has broader, cup- or goblet-shaped flowers rather than the narrow-petalled, star-shaped flowers of 'Leonard Messel'.

The cultivar honours Leonard Messel of Nymans in Sussex, England, where it originated, while Magnolia honours the French botanist Pierre Magnol.

Propagation. Usually propagated by grafting or budding onto magnolia rootstock; softwood cuttings may also be rooted under controlled conditions. Seed does not reliably produce plants identical to 'Leonard Messel'.

Accepted botanical name

Magnolia loebneri

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.