The `Jim Wilson` cultivar is very cold hardy. It has withstood winter temperatures of -33.degree. F. with no damage! In the spring following this cold temperature, the tree came into leaf and made normal vigorous growth during the growing season. This -33.degree. F. temperature occurred in January 1998 in northern Illinois in a test planting for cold hardiness

Here is a link that might be useful: United States Patent: PP12065

Ron, thanks for the link. Interesting to note that the "inventor", Earl Cully, is the same guy who developed the Heritage River Birch. I guess this magnolia hasn't been around long enough for much information to develop, but if cold hardiness is even close to what they claim, it's worth giving it a try.

As your link implies it's being grown in some quantity so there should be quite a bit of experience with it being accumulated - but the next time the -33F would be tested would be the next time it got that cold. Until then nobody will be able to confirm it.

Its been awhile since we've hit -33F and would prefer that I'm not around when it happens again, which it eventually will. The way things have been going since early November, wouldn't surprise me if it happens this winter. Very cold November and December looks to be more of the same.

You must be keeping all the fun for yourselves, as here we have had little frost. A north-facing planting along the road one house over still has intact dahlias in bloom.

Supposedly there will be a little snowing going on here in about a week.

I've had a Moonglow for about four years in a spot slightly protected in eastern Iowa; it's about seven foot tall now. We've gotten down probably to minus 15 or so.It keeps its leaves until it gets down to zero or thereabouts, but pretty much defoliates by spring every year. No twig damage, though. When its creators say it survives to -33 with no damage, they certainly aren't talking about leaves. My tree hasn't bloomed yet. I'm not hugely impressed so far with its vigor, but we'll see.

This plant has been on my list of things to try, but have never really believed the claims. Especially about the evergreen part knowing how other broadleaf evergreens fair out here in the plains.

Another with a claim to hardiness is Northern Belle. (Info from Magnolia Society website). Rarefind nursery sells it.

Northern Belle
[M. virginiana], cv. (Magnolia 33(1) [Issue 63]: 31, 1998). ÂThis selection remains evergreen to Â25°F. The parent plant is narrow, 25 feet tall and 8 to 9 feet wide at 17 years of age. Selected and registered by Ned Bader, President of NedÂs Nursery, Inc. in Amanda, Ohio, and propagated by him. M. virginiana var. australis.

Hawki -- I wouldn't expect it to be a true evergreen this far north. I've got a Daphne that I think would be classified as semi-evergreen, and decides its really wants to be a deciduous plant when temps consistently fall into low single digits (F). Is yours growing in full sun?

Ginkgonut -- Northern Belle sounds interesting. I checked out the Rarefind online catalog and found out its not available at this time. Do you know of another source?

BTW, is anyone familiar with M. virginiana 'Green Bay'? Very little information available, but its name leads me to believe it might be one from Dennis Ledvina, who lives in Green Bay, WI. Speaking of Green Bay, time to get back to the game.

Bob

Here is a link that might be useful: Magnolia virginiana 'Green Bay'

I just received word that this one was selected by Don Shadow in Tennessee.

I live in extreme northern Utah near Logan. We get -20 to -30 temperatures most winters. I've had a 'Moon Glow' magnolia for about 8 years now. It actually survives our winters better than the other magnolias. We had a freak cold snap on Thanksgiving morning in 2010 when it got down to -20, after an extremely warm Fall. The trees weren't totally dormant. I lost a bunch of peach and cherry trees, but my 'Moon Glow' sailed through that winter with no die back or winter kill.