Description

Southern Magnolia is an eye-catching tree that can bring great beauty and character to any landscape. It gets the name Grandiflora, from its very large (and fragrant) flowers, which you can enjoy from April to June. This tree generally prefers warmer climates, hence its name, but is considered winter hardy up to zone 6b, so be sure to find your zone.

Magnolia grandiflora typically grows about 60-80′ at its mature height, so be sure to give it plenty of room to grow. Its foliage is mostly evergreen, so these make a nice alternative to the more traditional evergreens such as American Holly. For best results, try to plant it somewhere with a medium level of moisture, not too wet or dry.

This is a great tree for pollinators, as it has very large pools of nectar, and a strong sweet scent which invites pollinators far and wide. One interesting thing about this tree’s relationship with pollinators – bees must first remove the stalks from the center section of the flower in order to pollinate it. This is very hard work and sometimes requires 2 or 3 bees working as a team to accomplish this task.