The elevation is the problem here not so much the zone. Out here in the higher elevations, we have a problem with variable sudden temp changes in Spring. A sudden late frost can wreak havok with a blooming magnolia. But, there is a great article from Michael Kuhn of the USU extension. He says that they are so beautiful, its worth it to try. Also, there are some cultivars that are better adapted to our harsh climate and alkaline soil than others. Good luck!! http://forestry.usu.edu/htm/city-and-town/tree-selection/magnolias-for-utah

Kari I saw that article when I googled growing Magnolias in Utah. I grew all those magnolias (they are late bloomers) in Minneapolis and was hoping to branch out once I moved to a warmer climate (zone 6b-7a as opposed to a 4b) but I've found the heavy alkaline clay to be a big problem here. And don't forget the wind...I lost the two magnolias I planted the first year I was here and I think the wind was the main problem as one came back from the roots. Course since the tree was grafted it was just the root stock growing. This fall I bought tree blankets to wrap my magnolias so we will see. I was hoping to find someone to trade notes with. See what worked for them and what didn't. I'm planting in raised beds now so we will see what happens. I think if I can just get one established I should be alright. Thanks for your help.

Hey! sorry this is coming to you so late. Magnolia grandiflora is an easy, hardy tree from Ogden to Salt lake. I have no idea why they are not grown here more often. I have a total of eight (I live in Ogden). My oldest magnolia is almost twenty years old. I have four different varieties. Edith Bogue, Brakens brown beauty, Kay Parris and Little gem. I do have decent soil at my house which helps but as far as winter hardiness goes they have all remained rock solid. Much of the wasatch front resides in either zone 7a or 7b. That's a whole different gardening world than zone 4b...

Mark thanks for your reply...since writing that I have been able to get magnolias to grow and bloom...we have very heavy clay here so besides amending the soil for the alkaline I have planted them high or in a raised bed...I use covers so far to protect from the strong winds we get in the winter...

All your magnolias are the Southern variety,do they bloom for you?...I have Little Gem,Kay Parris and they bloomed the first year but haven't since...I also have Daybreak,Sunspire,Sunsation,Genie which have bloomed for me...this year I planted a couple more magnolias including a variegated one called Mardi Gras...

I am concerned because they don't seem to be growing very much and I do seem to get get die back on the tips of the Little Gem...my oldest tree is Sunsation the only tree that made it through the first winter here but it is only about 4" taller than it was 4 years ago when I planted it...are your trees on their own or are there things you do to help like winter watering etc...if so I would love to hear about them...

I do not give them any special care for winter except making sure they are well watered going into winter. Magnolia grandiflora (southern magnolia) can take several years after planting to get going and depending on the propagation method used some may take up to fifteen years to start blooming. I would start fertilizing next spring with a fertilizer made for acid loving plants. Anyway yes mine do bloom. My oldest which is an edith bogue blooms very heavily now and it has bloomed every year since it was planted. It has never been bothered by cold here except one winter a few years ago when it had stayed very warm and then we had a significant cold snap. That just browned the leaves but it leafed right back out with no damage in spring. They usually carry this variety in a five gallon size at western gardens in salt lake. I hope this helps.

I think watering more might be a biggy...I do water but watering in the winter is weird...Valley Nursery told me to do that...I do think acid fertilizer might help...I used some chelated iron on them this summer as I was getting yellow leaves and it did green them up some...strangely enough my rugosa roses had the same problem...a few more questions...are yours planted in sheltered sites or out in the open exposed to the wind?...I imagine you do get very strong winds there in Ogden too...I'm in Roy so not that far from you...so how large have your magnolias gotten?...I planted and plan to plant a lot based on the theory that I formed that because of the dry climate most will not become huge trees?...I read the article above and others that seemed to indicate that...the magnolias I had in zone 4 Minneapolis were about 15-20' after about 10 years there...a lot more rain there though...

No I never water in the winter just make sure nothing that is a broadleaf evergreen goes into winter water stressed. Iron chlorosis is problem we all battle here. Helping to acidify the soil I believe helps more than iron chelate. I have magnolias planted in exposed and sheltered locations. They all perform well. I do not feel that southern magnolias in this area need any special protection however I do believe in planting the largest sized plants you can get. My largest is about 18 to 20 feet tall and keeps getting bigger. Sorry I do not know the exact address but there is a huge, mature specimen in sunset. It's in a front yard about 200 feet east of one of the frontrunner crossings. It;s a magnificent tree.

Wow I'll have to try to find that tree as Sunset is not that far away from here...eagle lake golf course is my back yard...there are a couple magnolias here...a Soulangeana and a Stellata...I haven't seen anything else...I might be in trouble if my trees keep getting that big...

Did you plant in Fall or Spring?...so basically you just plant the biggest tree you can get,aciditize the soil and make sure they are well watered?...seems easy lol...thanks...

Spring is always better but I've planted pretty late before. If your soil is heavy clay it's worth the time to dig a large planting hole, get rid of that soil and refill it with a decent planting mix. Anyway if you want to find some other southern magnolias in the state go down to salt lake. There is one on the west side of a funeral home on south temple... maybe 300 east or so. It used to be a forty to fifty foot tall tree but several years ago it was cut way back but is regrowing. Also there are two large little gem magnolias growing in the west planter of the tabernacle on temple square. I've seen them blooming in October before.

Yes we have the clay that gets like cement when it dries out....I do add compost to the hole when planting but I've found if you replace all the clay soil what you get is a bowl like effect that holds in the excess water...I had clay in Minnesota as well so I've had some experience with dealing with it although this is worse...the best thing is just to keep adding compost and leaves...I set the tree crown a bit above the ground level...about 1/2" and then pile mulch thick around it...we will see...I very happy to hear that magnolias can and do grow around here...I will check out Western Gardens to see if I can find that 5 gal magnolia...only been there once and it was too early as they were just getting their stock out...never did get back...

So how are your Magnolias doing? It's been almost a year and I'm wondering what success you have had...

Several years ago there was at least one magnolia thriving on campus at UU in SLC. I seem to recall it was pretty high up on the east side of campus at that time, perhaps near the med school library. Perhaps 1994, everything must have changed since then, no?

Albert I have no idea about things changing as I've only been here about 5 years but I imagine they have like most places...

Do you know if it was deciduous or evergreen? Deciduous Magnolias are quite common here but disappointing allot of the time because just as they are coming into their full glory a late frost zaps them. This is why I like Magnolia Grandiflora. It's pretty much fully cold hardy here and looks great all year. Imagine a broadleaf evergreen tree along the Wasatch front (there are others) with huge, extremely fragrant flowers. I also find that it is not as picky about our soil as the deciduous ones. Anyway I find the lack of this tree around here as another example of Utah gardening stuck in the same boring place it's been for decades.

Mark only one of my deciduous Magnolias has been zapped by late frosts once but I've planted ones that bloom late...the yellow Magnolias are very hardy as I grew them in Minneapolis's zone 4 climate...one reason I am trying to grow Magnolia virginiana is they start blooming early summer and bloom off and on all summer and are very fragrant...I am hoping my two remaining Magnolia Grandiflora continue to do well and eventually develop into that tree you describe...

I just have never wanted to try Magnolia Virginiana here simply because I hear they like swampy conditions and this climate sounds all wrong for them. Sorry to hear about your little gems. I'm really thinking something other than just cold did them in.

I think it's more they tolerate wet conditions rather than prefer it...I thought they might do better here because of the clay...strangely enough the one that died was in a spot that was consistently wet because of my neighbors watering or something...anyway I still have two are alive even though they haven't grown much...

As far as the Little Gem it would die back after the winter and then regrow managing a bloom or two on the low branches that were more protected...but each winter more of the tree would die back...this 3rd spring it died back to about 6" so I decide just to remove it...

Any more updates? I live in Morgan (near Mountain Green, up Weber Canyon along I-84). I grew up in Southern Maryland and I REALLY want a Magnolia. I ordered a 4'-5' Sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana) from fast growing trees and it is on its way! I will be planting it in a spot where it gets afternoon sun with southern exposure. I plan on acidifying the soil and will be irrigating with a drip system. I really want it to live and thrive. Any more tips?

I haven't had much luck with the M. Virginiana. I've planted 3 and only one is still alive and it doesn't seem to grow. I have how ever had better luck with other magnolias. M. Genie is 5 years old and is about 10--12' tall and is full of blooms. I've also had good luck with two yellow magnolias called Sunsprite and Sunsation. Both bloom every year despite only being 4-6' tall. My M. Frost to Fall will bloom this year. I have two M. grandiflora that have one or two blooms every year Teddy Bear and Kay Parris. Both are planted in sheltered areas but I just got a another Teddy Bear to try in a more open area. Oh my M. Jane does well too but it's more of a bush than tree. About 4 blocks from where I live in Roy there is a 25' M. soulangiana just covered with blooms. The thing that seems to have helped the most is using a fertilizer for acid loving plant a couple of times a year and making sure the trees are deeply watered before the ground freezes in the fall. Good luck.

If my viginiana doesn't do well I might try the Genie or Saucer (soulangiana) next. Thanks for the input. What do you think of the saucer's leaves when it is not in bloom? There is one near my mother's house in South Ogden. The blooms are beautiful, but I have not been impressed by the foliage. It is the only one that I know of, so it could just not be in great shape.

You are right the leaves don't impress which is why I haven't planted it. Plus it gets to be quite the large tree. GENIE, SUNSPITE, SUNSATION all get tall but not very wide so they fit in my smaller yard. My Genie is about 12' but only about 4' wide. Sunsprite is very narrow. The one I had in MN was 15' but only 4' wide. Sunsation gets the widest but still is manageable. I'm hoping my M. grandiflora bloom more as they get larger. Both are about 5' and they will bloom off and on throughout the summer. Not sure what zone you are in but the yellow magnolias tend to be the hardiest down to zone 4 like my MN garden.

I am in zone 5. What are the berries and seeds like on your GENIE, SUNSPITE, SUNSATION? I am looking for trees that will be nice for the birds in the fall and winter also.

Well none of them set a lot of seed. Genie probably the least. The M. grandiflora sets the most of all the magnolias I grow. I would think you would need cross pollination to get a good crop of seed. So two trees?

Seeds aren't a deal breaker, just extra points!! I was reading that the viginiana has nice seeds. I hope mine grows. I had a tiny 12" M.viginiana that i planted last fall, it survived the winter. I was soo happy. Two weeks ago I had my roof replaced, the roofers totally destroyed my baby. So step one is winter survival, I passed!

My one has survived 4 winters. It just doesn't grow much. Grew about 6" the first year but the last two I haven't seen any at all. I'm thinking it's not getting enough nutrients because of my extreme alkaline soil despite using acid fertilizer. I'm thinking of stepping up the amount of fertilizer. Maybe using a liquid type so it's fast access. Here's hoping that helps.

I think I will mix a bunch of peat moss into my planting soil. It looks like it grows in wet peaty swamps... Yikes, no wonder it doesn't to well in Utah. The peat will bring down the ph, hold water, and make it feel at home. Okay. I think I am ready to tackle this! Now I just have to wait for my tree to arrive. Thanks for your time.

Good luck. Let me know how it goes for you.

I don't know much about mine having just moved into my house 2 years ago (Ogden bench near WSU).

Magnolia x soulangeana - Saucer Magnolia

There is a nice big Saucer magnolia a couple blocks from my house in Roy that is just glorious right now.

Does anyone know what type of Magnolia this is at the west side of the Tabernacle on Temple Square? There are two of them about 15 feet tall.

Yes. Those beautiful specimens are Magnolia Grandiflora 'Little Gem'. They are perfectly cold hardy in valley locations along the Wasatch front. The only rule with them here is not to plant them late in the season. This variety also blooms longer than the other Magnolia Grandiflora varieties.

When would be the latest you should plant a M Grandiflora? It is July 1st tomorrow.

What variety of Grandiflora are you planting? I would get it into the ground as soon as possible.