Enjoy fragrant flowers paired with massive, bright green leaves.
Magnolias are a dime a dozen in Southern landscape design.
Bigleaf magnolia has enormous oblong leaves that can reach over 2 feet long and 1 foot wide.
Credit: nickkurzenko/Getty Images
It has the largest simple leaf of all native North American plants.
It also has the most significant single flower of the group.
In the right conditions, they grow slowly up to a foot per year and to 40 feet tall.M.
macrophyllais a deciduous plant but can be semi-evergreen in certain areas.
Bigleaf magnolia should be planted in fall, but is a rare find at nurseries.
The soil should be moist and rich with organic nutrients.
Once established, magnolias take moderate water.
After the flowers appear, bigleaf magnolias also produce showy, 3-inch-long red fruits shaped a bit like eggs.
The fruits attract birds and require some clean-up, as domost magnolias.
Light
Full to partial sunlight is needed for bigleaf magnolias to grow.
Trees should receive at least three to six hours of sun daily.
Soil
Bigleaf magnolias grow best in moist, organically rich soils that are well-draining and loamy.
It does not tolerate soils that are too dry or wet.
Temperature And Humidity
Bigleaf magnolias thrive in moderate to warm temperatures.
Areas with extreme heat can encourage early flowering buds, damaging the potential for healthy blooms.
Alternatively, places with colder temperatures will prevent trees from developing buds.
Adding alayer of mulchcan help moderate temperature surrounding the trees.
Fertilizer
Bigleaf magnolias only require a little fertilization if the soil is rich in organic nutrients.
If trees are not experiencing new growth, slow-release nitrogen-rich fertilizer will help boost production.
Types Of Bigleaf Magnolias
Bigleaf magnolias cultivars feature slightly differing characteristics.
Overall,little pruning is neededand can cause more harm than benefits.
Providing trees with a superficial trim after finishing blooming during the spring or summer can help encourage new growth.
If branches extend or cross over one another, consider trimming bigleaf magnolias to maintain a balanced form.
Flowers can take 12 to 15 years to emerge after you start a seedling.
How To Get Bigleaf Magnolias To Bloom
Deadheading is not necessary for bigleaf magnolias.
After yellowing, the foliage will wilt and drop off.
Mushy stems from overwatering can cause the tree to look dull and unhealthy.
If the soil’s nutrients are unbalanced, adding fertilizer can help get bigleaf magnolias back to healthy.
Leaf Spots
Yellow and brown spots can also affect bigleaf magnolias.
Browning can result from a lack of water but can also indicate disease.
If caught early enough, spraying a copper-based fungicide will help stop the infection before it attacks the leaves.
Bigleaf magnolia can live for a century in an ideal environment.
Bigleaf magnolia has striking white flowers and leaves up to 2 feet long.
