Southern Magnolia turning brown on outside

14 years ago

Good afternoon everyone. After a very hard winter here in Virginia, my four year old (since planting) Teddy Bear Southern Magnolia leaves have turned brown (a few have dropped). There are a few leaves on the inside that have remained green and healthy looking, but I'd estimate 85% of the leaves are brown or light brown in color.

Any recommendations on last ditch efforts to save the tree...likelihood it'll come back, etc.? Should I prune to stimulate new growth or something? It is on southeast corner of house, and generally well sheltered from weather. Had be thriving until the 70+ inches of snow we received this winter.

Thanks so much for any help or advice.

Colin

Featured Answer

famartin

14 years ago

Virginia didn't really have a "hard" winter. Usually a "hard" winter is one with severe cold. This winter didn't have that. It had plenty of snow, sure... but the cold was not at all severe.

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Comments (16)

denninmi
14 years ago
I have 4 Southern Magnolias here in Michigan. NOT a friendly climate for them at all.

The generally completely defoliate each spring. By the middle of June, you would never know the difference.

I suspect your tree should be just fine if it's caused by winter injury.

If it's something else, then the outcome could be different.
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User
14 years ago
Barefoot, I don't think it was snow nor the cold. I have teddy bears (and about a half dozen other cultivars of M.grandiflora0--none show the symptoms you describe and although cold was not bad (min 14 F. above), there was a ton of snow. Yes, there was some branch damage at the time of the snow, but the rest of the tree looks fine. I don't know what caused your damage though.
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Do a scratch test on one of the smaller twigs - if here is still a green layer of cambium under the bark, then that twig is still alive. If it's brown or grey all the way to the wood, then that twig is dead. Keep checking back to the trunk, and down the tree. Anywhere you have greem cambium, you may still get new leaves, so I would keep waiting. If, unfortunately, the cambium is all dead, so is the tree. If it's still alive, make sure the tree isn't too dry - stick a finger in the soil next to the roots, down about 2-4". If it's dry, water slowly, so the water soaks in. If it's wet, then wait, and check again later. Replace it with another, maybe in a slightly more sheltered spot if with another M. grandiflora cultivar. If you can ask around and find one propagated from a northern source, it might help. I believe that a cultivar of M. virginiana might be hardier, - it also is less likely to have sporadic flowers in the summer, doing its flowering mostly all at once in late spring/early summer, from what I can tell. Someone with more experience might be better able to say. I understand the deciduous magnolias are a lot hardier than the evergreen ones, so maybe one of them would do? While the leaves wouldn't be a feature in the winter, neither would there be the danger of them being damaged in a hard winter. If you haven't mulched under the tree, doing so will help - as widely as you can, at least 3', no deeper than 4", and no mulch in the 2-4" next to the trunk.
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I've no familiarity with southern magnolias. But I have moved a few things people though I couldn't. For digging out, if you can't get to the bottom of the rootball, I've dug a deep trench around the roots, packed a sturdy chain into the bottom of the trench, then hooked both ends of the chain to the tow ball of a 4x4, and pulled the chain under the rootball, severing the bottom roots. To get the tree into the truck bed, I'd use a ramp and see if it's possible to roll or drag it up the ramp with help on the rootball. I'd wrap the rootball with a tarp and tie it on so it doesn't slip off. I'd also wrap the branches as much as possible to keep them together and avoid more damage. Having a few muscular friends to help isn't a bad idea. If it's a just a bit too heavy, try finding a way to brace a 2x4 in the front of the bed, then using a come-along tied around the rootball to drag it into the bed, or even onto a trailer.. Or try pulling from one of the bed tie-down points.... I don't know what a tree spade costs...but I'd think the transport costs might be more expensive than the spade. Maybe worth checking on if the new location is close by.... Keep us posted! vince
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I am a Southern girl and a big fan of Southern Magnolias (Magnolia Grandiflora), Bracken's Brown Beauty is a type of Southern Magnolia. Traditional wisdom says that it is really hard to grow a Southern Magnolia north of Philadelphia. You simply live in too cold a climate for a Southern Magnolia to survive with ease. This is not to say that it cannot be done. If you plant your Southern Magnolia in a sheltered, warm and sunny spot you might have some success with your new tree, as you have had with your mystery Magnolia. I sometimes push the envelope a bit myself. Right now I have a Crepe Myrtle growing in my front yard, right outside my southwest facing dining room window. But this last cold snap, when temperatures dropped to 12 degrees, has caused me to rethink the wisdom of planting that Crepe Myrtle, and I rather dread Spring's revelations as to the damage that poor plant has surely sustained. I now wish I had planted a Serviceberry, instead of a Crepe Myrtle. It would have a been a more merciful choice.
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beaw
14 years ago
Im having the same problem with my SM. After reading several articals and talking to people that have them it seems to be a pretty common problem this year. I have been told to take all dead or fallen leaves away from the tree and to continue to do this until you start seeing new growth. Mine has brown spots and leaves that just look like they have half diet or been eaten by something . Im so scared of losing it so if anyone does have any idea what this is or what has caused it please let us know .
Thanks Bea
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years ago
if you have a boo boo on the tip of your finger.. you dont go trimming off the branch or arm ...

put away the pruning shears .. and fert.. or anything else ...

just give it some time..

in summer.. remove any dead branches... maybe a little pruning ...

just dont harm it with too much love.. give it time ...

in my zone 5.. a little browning of the leaves usually indicates a frost a week or so back.. any cold wave run thru your area???

ken
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barefoot76
Original Author
14 years ago
Denninmi - thanks, that's encouraging to hear. Hopefully it's just the same and it'll produce new leaves later this spring. So far no signs.

njoasis - yes, mine had some branch damage as well, but in general the damage was minor. It does sound as if it stayed a bit warmed in your area though as I know we has temps hovering near 0 a few times.

famartin- I'm not so sure about that...anecdotally, it seemed colder than any winter I can remember here, and our heating bills reflected that - we were 25-30% higher December - February than we were last year. It appears the range for Teddy Bear Mags is 7-9, and given we're a 7 and it was a harder winter than most (snow at least, and perhaps temps) I think that is most likely the cause.

beaw- comforting to hear others are going through the same thing. My leaves however don't appear to be half eater, but certainly are mostly brown. I read about sun scorch (from the snow reflection) on another posting, which could be the issue as well, as the leaves that stayed green tend to be in the inner part of the tree, and the leaves on the outside with antoher leaf in front almost have a MASK effect where the part exposed to sun is brown, and the part protected by the other leaf is a bit more greenish.

Thanks again to all for your input and thoughts. All are very helpful!
vincent45424
6 years ago
I am in the Dayton, Ohio area and have a Southern Magnolia that is young, but approx. 12' tall. It has been in the ground here for at least two years. The entire tree is brown this year. We have had a lot of cold this year, but only a handful of days that were excessively cold; this year has however been excessively wet! Will the excess of water cause my S.Magnolia to brown like it has. Will it turn around after the ground warms up and dries up? Any advice? Anything helps as it would make me sick to lose it. Thanks for any advice.
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User
6 years ago
Do you you know which cultivar of Magnolia grandiflora you have? If your zone is marginal, I don't know what zone Dayton is in, you should be growing a cultivar known for cold hardiness (Edith Bogue, Victoria, Bracken's Brown, etc...). Can you post a picture? It may be a matter unrelated to the cold or the wet..., e.g., having planted it too deeply, etc... My Winter was wet too and January was 6 degrees below normal, mine show no browning whatsoever, even for my Little Gem..., which always shows an amazing recovery btw. How cold did it get to and for how long?
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bengz6westmd
6 years ago
My Victoria has more leaf-browning than usual this winter. It'll just look a bit rough until new leaves come out & dead ones drop. I'd say the same w/yours....
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Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
6 years ago
Cold January weather, high winds and little warm-up during the day did a number on a lot of broad leaf evergreens this winter...especially those growing in full sun. Hopefully most of it was cosmetic.
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Brandy Chavis
3 years ago
Can anyone look at rhis southern magnolia tree.? We planted it in late September of this past year in Indiana. is it ok to use a bag around the bottom of of? And will it make it? The leaves fell off and branch ends look brown aim with base of tree
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Brandy Chavis
3 years ago
This is the tree that I’m not sure will make it
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famartin
3 years ago
Look OK to me. Give it a couple months.
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indianagardengirl
3 years ago
Take the watering bag off for a few minutes, and then gently remove the grass from around the base of the tree, in about a 3’ circle. Then lightly mulch (don’t touch trunk with mulch) and put your bag back in place. We had a strange winter and have had some tough spring weather. Your tree will need some TLC until it’s established, maybe by end of next year. That means keep it weed free and watered when needed. I think you will be fine.
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Brandy Chavis
3 years ago
Indianagardengirl- should I take the bag off when it’s empty or is it ok to leave it? Also can I use rubber mulch? I had some left from back yard area.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
3 years ago
you should have started your own post..

where are you in IN ... north or south ...

are SOUTHERN mags really viable where you are ... of was bigbox selling them in the wrong location???

did you have the recent frost/freeze event that much of the midwest had ...

a tree planted last year shouldnt need water.. this early in spring ... so i doubt water is an issue ...

release it from the shipping stake.. to insure those green bands arent strangling it.. if you need a real stake.. we can advise on such

are those new leaves.. or is it evergreen for you???

imo.. never .... ever.. use rubber mulch for plants.. its for playgrounds ... mulch breaks down and improves the soil .. rubber will be there for the rest of earths existence ... thats not good. ..

what is your base soil .. do you remember from when you planted it??? ... and how did yu plant it?

ken
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Southern Magnolia turning brown on outside

famartin

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Southern Magnolia turning brown on outside

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