One of my favorite trees. You might want to spray with an anti- desiccant spray befor the winter season until established. Be sure to keep watered. Do you know the particular cultivar?

This is plain old Grandifolia or species evergreen Southern Magnolia. It did great last winter with no help. Do you really think I need anti-desicant? I have another one but this one is so shiny leaved, with leaves bigger than the other one. I had to take a picture. I know it's very small yet though. I want to get the Bracken's brown beauty eventually but I just bought 3 more Quercus Fusiformis dispite the hot weather, they are used to hot weather and seem okay with the summer transplant. I'll get the brown Magnolia in fall.

Yes, I realize it is grandiflora, but within grandiflora there are lots of varieties. Differences include leaf size, coloration, cold tolerances, ability to deal with heavy snow loads, and length of flowering period, etc.. Bracken's Brown is known for its cold tolerance so it is a good choice. The anti-dessicant is no big deal really. It might be helpful for the first few years as it is still establishing itself. It is applied around early November and will help with winter sun scold when very cold.

Poaky1, I planted a M. grandiflora very much like this one here in york Co.,PA. It had 6 leaves total the first year and I had to mark it with a bamboo stake to prevent mower-itis from killing it. The one here is also just a seedling from a species tree without the brown backs on the leaves. Defoliation is minimal once the tree gets bigger, even in the years we have a winter.

What I have noticed is that the leaves on the south side have a little of the brown back, while the leaves on the north are completely free of any russetting.

North side:
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South side:
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When you plant seed-raised Magnolia grandiflora you may be waiting 20 years to see the first flowers and the hardiness is untested, unlike a clone of a named form (or other individual) of proven hardiness.

Conditions must be good here. The tree was probably 2 years when I got it, and it started to bloom in its 12th year (10 in the ground). Seedlings give a different tree than the parents, true, but sometimes paying 100 bucks for a selected tree that is only marginally better isn't worth the squeezing. If you need a midget tree or a fastigate one, I understand. But if you are just looking to reforest a hayfield, plain old undifferentiated seedlings fit the bill.

In colder areas were these trees can be successful (6-7), most of the better nurseries usually sell the cultivars that have proven cold hardier (Victorias, Edith Bogue, Bracken's Brown being very popular). They are not in my experience more costly and i have never paid $100.00 dollars for one. Yes, I have bought unnamed cultivars as well (probably Green Giant, and Teddy Bears), and they have done well but also show some potential liabilities. In my area, heavy snow load can be more of an issue than cold, and there are definite differences in how different varieties of grandiflora deal with snow load!

I got them very cheap so if they didn't make it I was not spending alot. I ordered them from " Mossy oak natives nursery" You have to spend at least $25.00 or a bit more, I can't remember the exact amount. So along with some oaks I bought 2 of these Magnolias. I'm glad they look as good as they do, hopefully they will put on more growthj next season.

I can't get any Evergreen Magnolias locally, I don't know why they don't sell them they are listed zone 6 hardy. I have yet to see about snow of course, that could be why they don't sell them here. Our Pinus Strobus or white pine have snapped branches from snow in the past. I actually like the big glossy leaves so much, flowers are just an added bonus. Dzit, is the tanned back from lots of sun, that makes sense, I saw some in Florida with lots of tan. Njoasis, mine is seed grown from the plain species, (sorry if you already know that) and is said to be zone 6 or 5. We have been having zone 7 winters for 5 or 6 years in a row. I think it should be okay for hardiness. I want a Brackens Brown B eventually. I want to see the ultimate size of BBB my yard is getting full. If I don't get some Hazelnuts soon those suckers are going to get removed and I will put the Brackens BB in their place. I hope I replied to everyone who posted.