Problem is, I have no idea what kind of pruning would be helpful. NONE ...NADA ...ZILCH... zero ... [except probably root pruning, see below] put down the shears and step away ... agree per above.. plant it and do nothing for 3 years ... every leaf is a food making machine ... and if.. on a RECENT transplant.. you go cutting off the food making machines.. how will it vigorously grow the roots it needs .. now.. check the pix at the link ... you will be hard pressed to find a plant with a single straight leader .. you guys are thinking about enforcing a preconceived notion of how it should look ... why??? this mag. is more of a shrub.. not a tree ... and i suggest you let it be what it is supposed to be... its a lot easier ... lol ... if you want a more tree like mag .. then return this one .. and get the type you want ... this is one of my faves.. just bulletproof up here in my z5 ... and after 10 years.. still only about a 4 by 4 foot shrub ... i was kinda startled by the pix at the link .. they are much bigger down south.. go figure on that ... early bloom .. mucho flowers .. a joy ... that pot looks severely root bound.. i dont know if i would have chosen that plant due to the two huge surface roots ... if you dont know what to do about that.. ask .. PROPER PLANTING , WATERING and MULCHING will be very helpful ... good luck .. try not to love it to death ... ken Here is a link that might be useful: link

Thank you everyone for your feedback. I've been looking at the maple and I've actually noticed a piece of tar paper (?) covering a big old knot. It is also losing some largish branches fairly consistently. There's nowhere that looks dead or hollow or anything though. I really want to keep this tree but I am concerned about its condition. In reference to the foundation plants, those are boxwoods and the ones in the sun seem fine but the ones on the shady side don't like it as much. Does anyone have a suggestion for a good foundation shrub that handles sun and shade well? Cause the right hand side is really full sun and the left is virtually full shade when the tree is leafed out. If the magnolia is no danger to the foundation then I think we will probably leave it for the moment. I think if we are able to prune it to keep it small-er it should be ok...I'm not positive though, part of me wants to move it while it's still smaller, since if it does ever get too big we'll probably have to just cut it down... The whole front yard is a logistical mess that is as dangerous (try walking down that concrete slope in the winter!) as it is bizarre. We are hoping to take the walkways out and re-grade the entire yard eventually.

They are survivors! I have moved much larger ones, with only a 3 ft. rootball, from shade to a sunny location. I pruned them severely, about one-third of the branches, including all of the crossing ones. Fall is probably the best time, after defoliation. After moving, water in well to remove all air pockets and mulch with about 6-8 inches of bark, leaves, straw, conifer needles, etc. Leave an air gap of several inches around the trunk. If the winter is dry, be sure to irrigate the roots periodically, especially before a hard freeze. You may lose the flowers the first year after relocation, but flower production is at the whim of Mother Nature in Zone 7 anyway! I lose the flowers most years to a hard freeze, just as they are beginning to open. Good luck! Rb

No discoloration on any of mine in Winter. There is an island planting of Eastern Hemlocks on the south side that might help mitigate the Winter sun some, but single digits are kinda rare for me (average January low is around 25, and average minimum low would be in the low teens..., but being 7a, it can get down to around 5 F. in some winters). My Little Gems sailed though last Winter with the sun, I still see more issue with Teddy Bear compared to the LG's. The strong verticality of Teddy Bears seems to accumulate heavy weigh snow until the breaking point. But I see no difference with respect to cold hardiness. My cultivars include..., Victorias, Edith Bogues, Teddy Bears, Little Gems, and Majesty Beauty. I do go out after a heavy snow to try to get the snow off of the Teddy Bears, but sometimes I am too late..., other varieties are usually okay, but I have suffered occasional snow load damage to a branch on Victoria, Majestic, and even Edith Bogue, but they do recuperate their canopy soon enough. BTW, it is the warmer, wetter, heavier, SOUTHERN snow that is the problem..., not the more fine grade arctic snow which is as heavy as cotton candy (fortunately, freezing rains are very rare for me!).