Will saucer magnolia tree live in a container? Advice please

12 years ago

I just bought a saucer (purple-white) magnolia a few days ago and I'm not sure whether to plant it down or keep it in a container. I live in a neighborhood where I cannot plant large trees. I read the tag that these magnolias can grow up to 20 feet. Does anyone know if I can grow this tree in a container? It's about 4 feet tall and the trunk diameter is about 1 inch. I think it's about 2 years old. It's blooming and the flowers are so pretty. Right now it's inside the house next to my large window. Can I keep it inside like this? Or does it have to be grown outside? Any advice to control its size is helpful. Thanks

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Comments (3)

denninmi
12 years ago
No, you cannot keep it in your house for more than a couple of weeks. It is a temperate zone, deciduous plant, and it needs the full range of temperate zone weather to survive long term, plus more sunlight and air flow than an indoor environment will provide. But yes, almost any plant can be containerized -- look at how successful Bonsai enthusiasts are at dwarfing species that, in nature, can grow to a hundred feet or more.

The two challenges -- long term pruning and winterization. You will need to prune both the roots and tops to keep the plant size appropriate, as well as periodically replace a fair amount of the soil to keep it from getting depleted. Not a big deal once you learn to do this.

The other potential issue is winter cold. I don't know where you are. If you are in zone 9 as you screenname seems to allude to, this would be a complete non-issue. If you're in a colder zone, 6 or North, you will need to shelter the root zone every winter, because soil in a pot is much more exposed in the ground, and sensitive roots can be killed by winter cold. People protect potted trees and shrubs by either putting the pots in a protected corner and mulching heavily, by burying the pots up to the rim in the soil and mulching, or by wintering in a protected but still cold environment such as a garage.

Finally, be sure to pot this in the LARGEST container that you are comfortable using in terms of size and weight, because the plant can use all of the soil volume it can get. Consider using a plastic or foam pot because they are lighter and won't shatter if they freeze in the winter (for the most part!), and also use a lightweight soil-less mix -- believe me, I have quite a lot of potted plants, and you want to minimize the weight as much as you can, because its no fun trying to lug these things around when they weigh hundreds of pounds.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
It's about 4 feet tall and the trunk diameter is about 1 inch. I think it's about 2 years old.

==>> just as an aside... its not 2 years old.. with a one inch trunk ...

put it in the ground ... its a flowering shrub.. not a child ....

it most likely .... will never flower again.. w/o near full sun ... which if 8 hours.. at least 6 hours ...

it will set buds in late fall for next year ...

most i know of.. are multi-trunked.. you can practice REJUVENATION PRUNING to keep it smaller ...

mine is somewhere between 12 and 18 feet tall ... and i am z5 ... which means it is asleep for 5 months ...

i have seen them in ann arbor in front of old Victorians .. at least 25 feet tall.. with 12 to 18 inch trunks ...

if you are limited as to space.. you probably bought the wrong plant ... as absolutely glorious as it is ...

ken
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Thanks. I am in North Carolina, view is fair I guess for where we are. Our deck is about 20-25' in the air and the trees come right up to the deck on the long side so it gives the feeling of being in a tree house. The short side where the Vegtrug and pots are looks like a short 3 par golf hole sorta. We really want to move to around Bend Oregon though, get a nice little spot with about 2 acres butted up to the national forest and near the Deshutes River. Build myself a 20' x 20' green house.
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Right now would be a great time to plant your Magnolia. Although personally, I'd avoid a Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana) because they will have their blooms frost/freeze killed about 3 out of every 5 years here in the middle part of the country. One of the newer later flowering cultivars would be a much superior and overall hardier tree. To name a few, M. 'Daybreak', M.'Rose Marie', M. 'Pink Charm', M. 'Pink Royalty', M. 'Pink Surprise', M. 'Red Baron', or some yellows like M. 'Sun Spire', M. 'Sunsation', and M. 'Yellow Bird' or an odd one like M.'Woodsman'. All of these cultivars flower significantly later than Saucer Magnolias and all are more winter hardy(zone 4 hardy vs. zone 5) and with consistent moisture will grow in just about any exposure for you. You can find most all of these via mail order at places like Rare Find Nursery, Fairweather Gardens, Song Sparrow Nursery, Gossler Farms, or Greer Gardens. You probably won't find them at a local nursery though. They're mostly too new or just not in wholesale production, even though they are vastly superior to most Saucer Magnolias.
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Comments (4)
If your magnolia is hardy to zone 5 and that's the zone where you live, you shouldn't have to do ANYTHING for it. I've read that siting Magnolias (that flower before setting leaves) in protected sites only MAGNIFIES the chance they'll be nipped by late freezes. Plants have an uncanny ability to adapt to their site. Pamper them too much and you'll get a plant that "folds" when the going gets tough... site it properly and it will take care of itself. We have a Magnolia stellata. It's been here for 12 years now. It's sited the direct path of the northeast wind. And NEVER has it failed to flower or grow! It's 8' x 8' now and thriving.
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No, that is not it's natural shape!! No magnolia grows naturally into a dense rounded blob, Deciduous magnolias tend to have a loose, open form with no directly vertical branching. So it is not difficult at all to tell - even from a photo at distance - that this tree has been heavily pruned at some point in time. The best tip for pruning a magnolia - any magnolia - is don't. Or as little as you possibly can. Other than removing any damaged or dead wood, there is no need to ever get close to one with pruners. They just don't respond well to pruning. However, I'm not sure this tree is going to look great and more unblob-like without some additional attention. But not yet and preferably not DIY when the time comes :-)) I'd let it grow another season or two and then see if the crown still needs thinning to open things up. If you think it does, hire a certified arborist skilled in working with ornamentals. They will know how and when best to do so to cause the least amount of stress or negative reaction from the tree. And it may well take more than a single session, as you never want to take much off at any one time. There's no shortage of qualified individuals in Seattle, thanks to the late Cass Turnbull and PlantAmnesty. And they are an excellent referral source for arborists and master pruners in the greater Seattle/Puget Sound area. Contact them when the time comes.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
it most likely .... will never flower again.. w/o near full sun ... which if 8 hours.. at least 6 hours ...

===>>> what i meant .. is that if you keep it in the house

it needs direct sunshine

ken...

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Will saucer magnolia tree live in a container? Advice please

Comments (3)

denninmi

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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