Late Blooming Magnolias

I'm looking for magnolias, shrub form or tree form, hardy to zone 5, that bloom later in the spring to avoid getting clobbered by a late frost but bloom before the foliage emerges. Many are touted as such in catalogues, but I'm hoping some DG'rs have some experience and recommendations.

I was waiting patiently to see if someone more knowledgable would reply...
But as no one wants to offer up an opinion, I'll give you my experience.

My stellata's are always a gamble - often victim of late frosts.
And there's no tree that looks worse after a frost.
But of course they're beautiful if the weather cooperates.

My magnolia loebnerii Leonard Messel and Merrill bloom slightly later, so aren't quite as risky.
But they are still often blasted by frost.

Elizabeth (yellow) is later and less affected.
My 'little girl' magnolias (Susan, Jane) are also later and rarely affected by frost.

The post is Leonard Messel.

This is Susan.

They are certainly beautiful flowering trees, so I hope you can find one suitable for your climate!

Oh, Thank You Weerobin. I too have Merrill and have seen it get ruined by a frost more than once. I've had it for about 18-20 years. I've heard of Elizabeth and of the "little girl" series. Your information is just what I was looking for. That 'Susan' is a gorgeous pink.

Wada's Memory is a magnolia that blooms later, and is more upright and taller than Merrill.

You could also grow a late spring/summer blooming Magnolia sieboldii. It blooms well after it leafs out.

Rick

M. sieboldii

I also love m. sieboldii, but the blooms frustratingly face straight down. You have to practically hold it up to see it!

My Magnolia sieboldii flowers hang almost straight down, as most in commerce do. I would guess that if you buy a seedling, there is a 95% probability that it would not be at all outfacing. If it is a cultivar, then of course, it should be exactly as advertised.

That said, there are rare forms that approach upright flowers. Someone I know in Massachusetts has a couple grown from seed that was wild collected in Korea that are like this. I am on his list for seed...

Now, Weerobin - glass half empty?

Rather: I await patiently for my M. sieboldii to grow taller than me, so that I may gaze upward into its chalices (much like most Halesia sp.).

Or: I can think of no better place to recline in my landscape than where I may enjoy an early summer day under the splendor of the Siebold Magnolia's pendant blossoms.

Can't swallow that rationale? Then look for some high ground (above a wall, or upslope of a pathway) upon which to plant your Magnolia sieboldii, so that angst such as Weerobin's bedevils you not.

Here's one way to easily enjoy the drooping flowers on even a very young plant...

Well maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't be driving around with a magnolia "antennae" attached to my car...

Perhaps a housetop would be safer. (giggle)

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That's quite a precocious young fella you have there, VV!

This message was edited Jan 6, 2012 8:01 PM

Of course, we are getting off the subject/topic. snapple45 originally asked about hardy deciduous magnolias that bloomed before foliage emerged - known as precocious flowering behavior in some circles.

I'll pitch some additional names into this hat, which are commonly grown in upstate IL/southern WI, so should be plenty hardy and reliable in northern OH.

I agree with the summary statements about most Star Magnolia selections (Magnolia stellata) , the Loebner Magnolia clones (Magnolia x loebneri), and the Saucer Magnolia group (Magnolia x soulangeana) - they are all likely targets of typical midwest winter weather fluctuations, resulting in too early blooms losing out to way late frosts/freezes. Ameliorate this likelihood by site selection: favor north sides of tall things, north sides of evergreens/conifers, and northerly aspect slopes.

The US National Arboretum (in addition to the Little Girl series hybridized by Kosar and DeVos) has introduced a number of very good deciduous magnolias. 'Galaxy' and 'Spectrum' are two large plants with bright reddish/purplish flowers that grow with tree-mendous vigor and blooom heavily. I'd put these at the front of your list of magnolias to seek out. http://www.usna.usda.gov/Newintro/genus.html

There are so many more - tell me when you want me to stop. With folks like Dennis Ledvina in Green Bay and the late Phil Savage in suburban Detroit making fabulous hybridizing efforts (and still others too numerous to mention), you should not have difficulty maxxing out Magnolia plantings. I will list selections that I've purchased, planted for others, planted for myself, and/or have observed at arboreta or nurseries.

In no particular order....

'Butterflies'
'Elizabeth'
'Yellow Bird'
'Yellow Fever'
'Yellow Lantern'
'Orchid'
'Golden Gift'
'Miss Honeybee'
'Lennei'
'White Rose'
'Joe McDaniel'
'Marillyn'
'Gold Star'
'Ivory Chalice'

Other precocious species of Magnolia that you could try include M. denudata, M. kobus, and M. salicifolia.

How was your trip VV?

OT OT OT OT - that belongs on its own thread.

Here's a 'Galaxy' bloom...

Very nice.
... you're not holding the bloom up, are you?

A local garden writer wrote a piece on Magnolias for northern gardeners a couple of years back. She recommended a book by Dorothy J. Callaway called "World of Magnolias" to explore a lot of different varieties. Based on that, the garden writer recommended (and was trying) M. grandiflora 'Edith Bogue' and 'Brackens Brown Beauty'. ForestFarm did carry the first one and showed it as zone 6 but they tend to be conservative in the zone notations. The garden writer did note that if we get a severe winter, there might be some leaf loss on the grandifloras but, if sited correctly, the tree should survive and leaves will grow back. I only know this little bit of info as I've always wanted a southern Magnolia and have even started some from seed for folks in TN.

I have a Bracken's Brown Beauty doing fine here.
It's evergreen and summer blooming, so no issues with frost.

Weerobin - why am I not surprised? :) You have a collection to envy.

Whoa people! I've sure got plenty of good selections from which to choose now. Many thanks. Space will only permit two additions. So, I'll be examining the choices offered closely and making a choice soon. The good stuff always goes quick and I'll want to have my order in ASAP.

Has anbody seen or grown Magnolia 'Gold Crown'?

To be clear, my meaning of precocious is the normal sense:
--- early maturing in years, not early in the season

Understood, Leftwood.

I have always used the word that way, as attributed to a precocious child. I have been told by others wiser than me that flowering before the foliage is the appropriate application of the word to plants. So it goes...

Here is where one may read more about some of the magnolias listed above. There are nice descriptions and some good images. This nursery (and its retail ally) have even more magnolias than are illustrated at this link - many that are very new and unfamiliar to me.

http://www.beavercreeknursery.com/plantlist.cfm?sort=genus&genus=Magnolia&planttype=tree&startrow=1

Another image of 'Galaxy' for those unfulfilled...

Try Magnolia liliiflora 'Nigra' http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/120884/ which tends to sporadically bloom through the late spring/summer months.