I think anytime of the year is OK to plant a Magnolia. It won't do much root-wise now but I figure anything out of its pot is happier.

For other plants to block your view of civility - consider Leyland Cypress, Holly, Eastern Red Cedar, and even native pine trees (gasp, like as in Loblolly?). They all grow fast and are evergreen. They are also a lot cheaper so you could get more for the same money and have a few layers of evergreen. Remember too that Magnolia's are messy - leaf drop year-'round, big ol' seed pods, huge petals falling for weeks, and absolutely nothing grows underneath them, let alone that they get scale and heart rot. They also attract squirrels - my personal nemeses.

The spring planting advice holds only for large, balled and burlapped southern magnolias - they're thought to suffer less shock and lose fewer leaves. If you're speaking of container-grown (even large containers) specimens, anytime of year is fine, though fall planting is probably best for quick establishment.

I second Nan's concerns, though: southern magnolias, though beautiful, are messy and difficult to garden under/around. They fall under the (for me) rather broad category of plants best appreciated in another's garden.

NOT July. I rescued a pretty 4 foot baby from immediate doom, and he took till September to die so slowly - even with lots of water. I knew it was dicey in summer and took my chances and lost.

Sally, I'm a Yankee, and although I wasn't lucky enough to have any established on my property, I do love me some Magnolia grandiflora. I hear neighbors complaining about the mess they make, but I'll never forget the first time I put my nose into one of those delicious creamy white cups.
If a perfume company could duplicate that, they'd have something!

Personally, I feel that the aforementioned trees do not hold a candle to the majesty of the magnolia. It all depends on your spot though. If it is not a place where you want to garden underneath (they should be grown with their skirts to their toes anyway), then go for it. Many trees make some sort of mess, but few provide the beauty of this southern masterpiece.

claire in sanford

Be careful not to disturb the roots, they really do not like that. It is best to plant them in spring but it can be done in fall. Be sure to either keep it watered well or spray the leaves with something to keep them from loosing water. Also, magnolias are slow growers, it would take a while for them to get large.
On a side note, I would not plant Leylands unless they are part of a mixed planting, they are over used and as such, have become susceptible to many pest and diseases. As part of a mixed planting if you loose one it can be replaced with something else without looking out of place.
I would agree with an earlier post that loblolly pines are very fast growing and use in a mixed planting with cryptomeriums and other trees can be really nice.

Its actually a good time to plant trees when they start going dormant. I would Take Dieter2NC's advice though just dont mess with roots alot and YES!!! magnolia's do make a big mess they loose there leaves pratically all year because they are evergreens so usually once in the spring once in the fall its like they change coats you can be really sucessful in planting alot of plants going dormant spring although is the ideal time of year for putting anything in the ground for a big boost!

I couldn't agree more Claire. My mother hates magnolias and thought I was crazy for planting one, but I think they are one of the most beautiful trees on earth and at their finest when their branches are all the way to the ground. No need to plant underneath and the branches hide the fallen leaves. Dana

Yup, I'm with Claire and Dana. Leave the leaves to the ground and you don't have to worry about the mess underneath. Plus it will make a better screen. There are lots of georgious evergreens that could be mixed to create a more natural looking screen than the infamous Leland wall. I don't think anything grows as fast, but they are so boring plus they have the disease problems. Maybe you can get the condo to plant a Leland hedge which will give you the quicker screen, then you can plant prettier buffer plants to hide the Lelands. Complicated enough? -Ais.

That's pretty much what we did when our neighbor's house went up too close for our liking, though still pretty far by most subdivision standards. It's mostly wooded in between, but there was one big hole. We planted Leylands in the worst spot - though not in a straight line. Then we mixed in wax myrtle, American hollies, rhododendrons, camellias, anise and the one magnolia. The Leylands grew quickly to fill in the hole and now even if they die, the others have caught up. Dana

Thanks to all for the advice and suggestions. I hapened by Niche Gardens a couple of weeks ago, after I had been reassured by you all, and they had their grandifloras on sale, so two of them have now been planted. I also have other large evergreen shrubs, but this condo is three buildings, eight stories tall, so I felt the magnolia would be the best choice. I am thinking about painting "See Rock City" or some witty saying on the roof of my garage which faces their way. Too bad I love my house and neighborhood so much. Thanks for all the help. Carolina gardeners and their friends rule!

A nice Leyland Cypress replacement would be Thuja 'Green Giant'. It's not (yet) plagued by significant pest or disease problems. :)

Pam