Saucer Magnolias [Winter Flowering Trees & Shrubs]
When winter is dragging on long after the holidays have come and gone, (perhaps the only time some of us may be excited about cold weather) Saucer Magnolias suddenly appear to perk us up with their large goblet-shaped flowers that bloom on bare wood.
Magnolia x soulangeana, or Saucer Magnolia, typically blooms from mid winter to early spring, depending on variety and climate, when most other garden plants are still in deep in winter sleep. In Napa, CA where I live, it’s mid February and they are blooming all around town now.
Saucer magnolia size & description
Magnolia x soulangeana, sometimes also called Tulip Magnolia, is the most commonly grown deciduous magnolia. It’s a spreading tree or large, multi-trunked shrub with sizes ranging from a petite 15’ or so tall by 8’ wide to up to about 30’ tall and wide. This makes it a versatile choice in the landscape, with varieties suited to fit smaller spaces while creating a big impact during a season when often not much else is going on in the garden.
Flower color ranges from pale pink to deep burgundy on the exterior of their tepals (magnolias don’t have fully formed petals since they evolved as some of the earliest flowering plants). As saucer magnolia blooms mature, they open to reveal lighter colored interiors of white to deep pink, creating a bi-color effect that adds to their beauty in the landscape.
Saucer magnolia’s bi-colored flowers bloom on bare wood in late-winter to early spring. Photo by Cheli Scott via Unsplash
Saucer magnolia blooms are also fragrant and attract pollinators and hummingbirds.
In the spring and summer, the small trees or large shrubs produce medium green 4-6” leaves that turn brown and drop off during fall, revealing attractive silvery-gray branches.
Saucer magnolias in the landscape
Saucer magnolias are usually in the garden as either specimens planted alone as either trees or multi-trunked shrubs, or they can be effectively planted in groupings where space allows.
Since many aren’t very large, they can be effective planted along a fence too where again, they can be featured as specimens, (uplighting highlights them nicely) or as an informal, open hedge.
They also work well as container plants or trained as espalier.
Saucer magnolias planted en masse with drought tolerant manzanita groundcover underneath creates a beautiful display while being easy to maintain. These trees (or multi-trunked shrubs) are blooming in mid-February winter.
Saucer magnolia as a multi-trunked specimen (and adjacent to the mass plantings pictured above) with groundcover beneath and standard roses planted behind.
Some saucer magnolia varieties and options
There are many varieties of saucer magnolias that would make suitable choices in the landscape. Check with your local grower for a list of options for your climate and conditions.
According to Monrovia, Black Tulip magnolia will grow up to 15 to 20 ft. tall and 6 to 10 ft. wide, making it a good choice for a smaller space. A similar choice in size and deep burgundy color would be Magnolia ‘Genie’.
Black Tulip magnolia tree, one of the darkest saucer magnolia blooms. 15 to 20 ft. tall and 6 to 10 ft. wide with 6” flowers.
This landscape I designed was installed 8 months ago in mid-summer. (Yes, that tree stake needs to be removed.) Even as it grows and matures, the petite ‘Black Tulip’ saucer magnolia tree won’t overwhelm the plantings or the lawn area requested by the client as a place to watch her dogs play.
Another choice for small spaces is ‘Lilliputian’, a slow grower with a tight habit to a max of about 18’ tall and 10’ or so feet wide. It’s flowers are streaked pink upward from the base and light pink to white at the ends and inside the tepals.
‘San Jose’ has large pinkish-white flowers and blooms very early. (This can be a problem if late frost occurs and damages flowers.)
For whiter blooms, Magnolia soulangeana ‘Alba Superba’ is very popular and an early bloomer with large flowers that are white on the inside and pink to purplish at the base. It grows up to about 20’ tall and wide. ‘Brozzonii’ is another white-blooming option that grows as a vigorous tree.
Magnolia soulangeana ‘Alba Superba’. Photo by Julia Solonina via Unsplash.
Magnolia x soulangeana planting & care
Saucer magnolias in general are unfussy growers, but like all plants, they do have their requirements to thrive.
They can be grown in full sun to part shade. Avoid windy sites.
They require regular water and prefer being planted in slightly acidic, organically rich soil that has good drainage.
Since flowers appear before the leaves, they can be vulnerable to late spring frosts and freezes, so a protected location can help prevent this if planted in a climate that can experience late cold weather.
Pruning should happen during summer when they are fully leafed-out.
Saucer magnolias aren’t susceptible to a lot of pests or disease. An exception can be scale which can be treated with horticultural oil applied in the spring to take care of overwintering scale.
A white variety of saucer magnolia blooming outside windows creates a lovely wintertime or early spring view. Photo by Larisa Birta via Unsplash
So are you ready to plant one of these beauties outside your window where you can admire its chilly season blooms from a cozy spot inside?
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