Am I mistaken or is my Magnolia bush full of buds?

12 years ago

I just noticed after all the leaves fell off, that my Magnolia tree is covered in what look like new buds. Or are these the bits that are left by the old flowers? Not that it matters... winter arrived today with horrible winds and temps hovering around zero...

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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

3 years ago

They won’t be dead. And it happened because that’s what magnolias do. It’s not unreal at all. And please, never prune anything unless you know what you’re doing. Your magnolia will flower in spring as it’s meant to because you haven't pruned it. Read what NHBabs said 9 years ago about spring flowering shrubs.

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Comments (7)

whaas_5a
12 years ago
Those are flower buds that the plant set in summer. The only thing you have to worry about is when they open in spring, is that early season frosts can zap the flowers.

Cut cultivar do you have?
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
12 years ago
Most of the early spring flowers like most rhododendrons, magnolias, dogwoods, etc. set their flower buds during the previous growing season and so you can see them in the fall and over winter. Flowers that bloom later in the growing season form their flower buds on new growth rather than the previous season's growth. Woody plants form leaf buds in the previous season (though they form on new growth as well) so you can see the buds all winter on most woody plants.

In your photo, the large center bud is probably a flower bud, while the smaller buds on either side and along the side of the twigs are leaf buds, since magnolias are one of several types of plants that tend to have large flower buds. I love the silvery sheen of those large magnolia buds when there is little evidence that life will be remerging eventually.
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i was looking at my saucer just the other day .... in my z5 .. i realize you are a bit warmer zone.. but your plant should not have been on the verge of blooming.. i suspect ... on mine the buds were just losing their winter covering.. perhaps as big as my index fingernail ... if your buds were any more extended.. there is a chance the plants came from a warmer zone.. and where further along in bud break.. and they got exposed to cold.. somewhere on their trip to your garden .... a hard frost or freeze can damage buds .... and yet the damage will not 'show' for a few weeks.. so blame someone else.. lol ... though disease is an POSSIBLE issue ... i would look at problems in this order: digging damage from the grower if bare rooted this spring shipping damage hardening off to your zone transplant shock etc long before i would consider disease .... give it a month or two.. to see if it leafs out ... if so.. you are all set .. frankly.. i never expect much more than the plant living the first year.. the flower show will come in a year or two ... when dealing with conifers/shrubs/trees ... there really isnt instant gratification.. they can live for hundreds of years.. so if we have to wait or year or two... it should NOT be a big deal ... but for our own expectations ... in a perfect world.. you should have planted the plant while fully dormant.. the fact that it was growing.. puts you a bit behind the 8 ball.. and perhaps you are seeing the effect .... i doubt it will die .... just delay the flower show ... unless it is diseased.. lol ... good luck ken
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
it better be.. or it will be flowerless next year ...

since you are learning.. this is why you would never prune this plant in late summer or fall.. otherwise you might cut off all of the next years buds ...

if you ever come to the point of having to prune for shape or size.. you better come back here and learn how to do it ... BEFORE you go at it with the shears ..

ken
pam_whitbyon
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks, that's a relief. Not sure why I didn't notice them last year. Whaas, I think it's a soulangeana. Babs, you're right, the buds do have a lovely velvety sheen to them!

Ken, it's pure luck (procrastination) that almost the entire shrub didn't get a big haircut in September. Whew, now I know!

Thanks all!

Pam
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
12 years ago
shrubs NEVER get hair cuts...

when you seem inspired... google [or come back here] ... REJUVENATION PRUNING OF FLOWERING SHRUBS .... i made it easy.. check the link.. read one or two .. so the seed of proper pruning.. will be planted you your gray matter ...

NEVER.. EVER... a hair cut at height ... selective pruning.. maybe ... but not a hair cut ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link
lebloom1801
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Yeah, I’ve got the same thing here. My magnolia Ricki was loaded with buds in October and now it’s going into January. Will they be all dead by the spring time when they normally should come out? Why did that happen? I never pruned the bush. This is really unreal. Thanks

Am I mistaken or is my Magnolia bush full of buds?

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

Comments (7)

whaas_5a

NHBabs z4b-5a NH

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Am I mistaken or is my Magnolia bush full of buds?

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

Comments (7)

whaas_5a

NHBabs z4b-5a NH

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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pam_whitbyon
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