Lily magnolias are gorgeous shrubs and small trees that produce some of the prettiest flowers of spring. If you're thinking about planting one, read ahead as gardening expert Melissa Strauss gives the details on how to grow and care for these wonderful plants.
Magnolias are a beautiful and enchanting group of plants that produce some of the most beautiful and fragrant flowers around. They are easy to care for and add much beauty and grace to the garden and landscape.
While we commonly think of the evergreen types when we hear the name, there are stunning deciduous species, as well. Among them is the sweet and petite lily magnolia tree with its delicate beauty and understated charm. Let’s learn how to grow it!
Lily magnolia is a species of shrub or small tree that falls into the Magnoliaceae family. This family includes both deciduous and evergreen species, each producing large, fragrant, beautiful flowers and broad, attractive foliage.
Lily falls into the deciduous group, which typically produces a greater number of blooms, though they are usually smaller than their evergreen cousins. They are just as easy to care for and make a beautiful addition to any garden, even those smaller spaces where many trees can overwhelm.
Deciduous species in this family tend to be more compact than the full-sized evergreens. The lily magnolia has a lower growing habit that is more shrub-like, but you can train them into the form of a small tree with some early, selective pruning. Left to their own habits, they tend to be multi-trunked and grow to between eight and 12 feet tall, which makes them perfect for spaces where the larger species would be impractical.
These deciduous plants spend the winter in dormancy, showcasing their smooth, gray bark and well-balanced branching shape. They naturally grow in a pleasing form and require little, if any, pruning for most of their lifespan.
In spring, before their leaves grow back, large, fuzzy buds swell and break open into large, softly colored blooms. A mature plant can produce hundreds of blooms at one time, covering itself with gorgeous, goblet-shaped, pink and purple flowers that have a wonderful fragrance.
The blooms face upwards, showcasing their attractive shape and highlighting the deeper color of the outer tepals. They are four to five inches long and can have anywhere from seven to 20 tepals or petals. The flowers have a citrus fragrance, not unlike the giant Southern magnolia.
Soft, broad, green foliage follows as the flowers fall, making this an attractive addition to the summer landscape. While it is primarily a spring bloomer, a happy plant can continue to bloom sporadically in the summer. The leaves do change to bronze and yellow in the fall, but the colors are not typically noteworthy.
Lily magnolia is native to southern and eastern China. It typically grows at forest edges, on slopes, and in moist but well-drained soil. It is flexible about light and soil type and handles more shade than most species.
The best time to plant deciduous magnolias depends on your climate, but always while it is dormant. In warmer climates, like zones 8 and 9, you can plant in late fall or in winter, as the soil stays workable in these regions in most cases. In cooler climates, wait until late winter or early spring as soon as you can work the soil.