The first such depiction I've seen I remember as "like a wet goat". Tree does not reek, but unless your climate is too cold for the other big-leaved species why plant one that is not fragrant? Probably the most ornamental in the group is M. obovata (M. hypoleuca). Under suitable conditions the somewhat medicinal fragrance of that species may waft a considerable distance. Grows wild as far north as Hokkaido, so your winters may not be too much for it.

My M. tripetala had a single bloom on it for the first time this spring. I agree that it's a strong earthy smell, but pleasant & quite unusual to my sniffer.

The tree is worthwhile just for the leaf-size -- mine has a couple 25"+ long leaves.

Magnolia trees can drop lots of litter. If you have your mind solidly set on planting such a tree, than consider also if you are willing to pay the high price for an automatic retractable pool cover needed to prevent filter cloging problems, or if that cost is not in your budget, then consider what it will mean to you, once you find that you end up having less time to enjoy using the pool; due to all the time and energy it takes to keep the Magnolia's debris out of the pool.

Flowers drop petals, from most trees and shrubs. Evergreen magnolia's seem to shed dead leaves throughout the growing season, and the really large flowers that some magnolias produce are dropped from these trees after they have turned brown and have begin to appear like a huge ugly glob of mush and or simply large brown clumps of rotting debris.

Is this really what you want to see or to have to make a regular practice of cleaning up every two to three days during the times of the year when your pool will be used?

Not to mention that most magnolia trees end up spreading their canopy far beyond what can be easily envisioned when first planting them in their 6 or up to 12 foot tall stage.

I have bigleaf magnolias around my pool - both M. macrophylla and M. tripetala. The smell is only unpleasant if you get right up to it. The bloom doesn't last very long anyway, just a few days.

I haven't found the litter to be a problem at all. My pool fence is right up against the concrete around it, so the magnolias are just outside the fence. The vast majority of leaves fall on the ground, not in the pool.

{{gwi:423649}}

When the one shown is closer to 50' tall, maybe a different story.

I'll probably have filled in the pool by then. ;)

Maybe I don't get out enough, but "wet goat" isn't of much help to me. Really, how many of us have actually smelled a wet goat? Is it really baaad?

I'm glad to hear that it does not smell awful. It seems it is tolerable for the short time it's in bloom.

If I use this tree, it will be about 25 feet from the pool, and not along a regular path of travel. It will function as a backdrop to various other tropical type plants.

Thanks for the thought, Katrina1. My pool already has an automatic cover, and it is unbelievable how much it helps to keep the pool clean.

>I'll probably have filled in the pool by thenIf the trees haven't filled it.

Sunset WESTERN GARDEN BOOK has a section listing plants good for planting near pools but many of them are kinds that would be grown only in places like southern California.

fponzani,
We have Umbrella Magnolia native near me. In the wild they are exclusively in the understory of the floodplain. They bloom first week of May and if you stick your nose in the flower they smell like burnt rubber. When planted in the full exposure, they tend to "flag" or lose foliage during dry spells.
Compare this to Bigleaf Magnolia which blooms for us the last week of May, wonderful perfume and does well in full exposure.

sam, the macro (Bigleaf) mag sounds promising. I'll start by looking for it at the local nurseries.

If anybody has suggested mail order sources, please let me know.

Thanks.

I should clarify that what you see in my picture are bigleaf magnolias - the umbrella magnolias are behind them and not visible in this picture.

Bigleaf magnolia flowers smell really nice.