A Broad-Leaved Evergreen Tree Suited to Our Climate

Southern magnolias are beautiful and majestic evergreen, broad-leaved trees that originate in the southeastern United States. They present a familiar image of the southern US but are also hardy trees that will thrive in our Pacific Northwest climate. Magnolia grandiflora have a rounded pyramidal crown and beautiful patchy gray bark.

Magnolias are in the Magnoliaceae family, which contains some of the oldest flowering plants. These plants are thought to have grown 130 million years ago. 

Characteristics of the Southern Magnolia

The Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) is also known as the Evergreen magnolia, as it has very stiff, shiny, large oval-shaped evergreen leaves that consistently drop year round. The tree never drops all its leaves at once as deciduous trees do. The shiny dark green leaves are an excellent identifying feature of Magnolia grandiflora, as are the fuzzy white, orange, or brown undersides of the leaves.

There are only two species of magnolia that are evergreen – Magnolia virginiana (sweet bay) and Magnolia grandiflora, although some magnolias can be semi-deciduous, depending on the climate they’re grown in.

The Evergreen Magnolia has Show-Stopping Flower Displays

The blooms of the Southern magnolia or Evergreen magnolia are magnificent. They are cream or white in color and large in size, as the species name ‘grandiflora’ suggests. They bloom often and intermittently throughout the year.

The flowers are made up of  numerous petals, and at the center is the pistil (made up of spiralling parts called carpels), which is surrounded by spiraling stamens. The center of the flower turns into the seed head and looks similar to a cone. The cone has numerous follicles which open and allow the seeds to fall out. 

Care of Magnolia grandiflora

• Plant in full sun to part sun, depending on the needs of the variety.
• Magnolias like good drainage – amend heavy clay soil and plant on a mound.
• Water deeply and regularly in the summer months.
• Don’t allow roots to sit in water. They are susceptible to phytophthora root rot, which can cause dieback in the branches.
• Prune in spring when seasonal growth begins. Too much pruning will encourage water sprouts to grow, so limit pruning to thinning and removing dead branches.

Uses of the Southern Magnolia

Magnolia grandiflora and its numerous cultivars have many uses in the landscape. They make great shade trees, screens, and accent or specimen trees. These trees are also tolerant of pollution and therefore work well in front yards and as street trees. They provide year-round interest with their shiny green leaves with orange undersides and spectacular flowers.

There aren’t many broad-leaved trees that are evergreen. The Southern magnolia is a special tree to plant in your yard so that you can appreciate a green canopy throughout the year.

Common Magnolia grandiflora Cultivars Available

Magnolia ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ is a stunning variety with large white flowers, 5-6” wide. The tree grows 30-50’ tall and 15-30’ wide. The leaves have showy brown, fuzzy undersides, giving the tree extra interest. This is a hardy variety that tolerates colder weather better than some of the other cultivars. It transplants well and does not lose quite as many leaves as other varieties.

Magnolia ‘Victoria’ is cold hardy and ideal for growing in the Pacific Northwest. It grows up to 30’ tall by 25’ wide. The large white flowers appear in midsummer and have a slight lemon fragrance. The leaves have fuzzy red undersides.

Magnolia ‘Little Gem’ is one of the smallest cultivars available, reaching 15-20’ by 7-10’. It is a great choice as a hedge or screening plant in a smaller sized yard, especially when you’re looking for something different with beautiful blooms.

Magnolia ‘Teddy Bear’ is a dwarf variety of the Southern magnolia that reaches 16-20’ tall and 10-12’ wide. The tree has a pyramidal shape, similar to the plentiful conifers we have in our region, and it fits in well with the conifer garden aesthetic. ‘Teddy Bear’ can be used as an accent tree or a screening tree.

Magnolia ‘Kay Parris’ is a beautiful variety with a straight trunk and pyramidal shape, compared to the more rounded form of Magnolia grandiflora. It reaches 15-20’ tall and 8-10’ wide. It has enormous white, heavily-scented flowers, 8-10” wide, which bloom from late spring into the fall. A relatively fast grower.

Contact Frontier Landscaping to help you select and plant the perfect southern magnolia for your yard.

Profuse Blooms to Liven Up Your Garden

Crape Myrtles, also known by the botanical name Lagerstroemia indica, are deciduous shrubs that range from 4’ in height to trees that can grow up to 30’ tall and wide. There is a great variety of these shrubs and trees that are generally cultivars of Lagerstroemia indica, bred for particular traits such as size, flower color, foliage color, or disease resistance. They are available as single or multi-trunked trees.

Lagerstroemia provide interest throughout the seasons. They offer shiny mid-green to dark green leaves in the spring and summer, vibrant, colorful blooms in the late summer, deep red and burgundy or orange-colored leaves in the fall, and attractive, peeling, mottled gray and tan bark on display in winter.

Crape Myrtles originate from southeastern China and have been in cultivation for over 2000 years due to their many charming attributes. The ‘crape’ name refers to the delicately wavy edges of their eye-catching flowers, similar to the intricately crafted flowers made from crepe paper. This can account for the different spelling of crape myrtles, as they are sometimes called crepe myrtles. These cheerful trees brighten up neighborhoods with their effusive displays of lavender, white, red, or pink blooms in July and August.

Conditions for a Thriving Crape Myrtle

Lagerstroemia love the heat and full sun. Indeed, if they are planted in partial shade, their blooms will turn white and will not be as plentiful. An ideal planting spot is next to a heat soaked patio or a south or west-facing driveway where it can bask in reflected heat from the concrete or stone. For this reason, Crape Myrtles also thrive as street trees and can tolerate some air pollution, provided they also receive enough water.

Crape Myrtles like moist but well-drained soil. It is important to amend clay soil when planting this tree, and be sure to plant it a little above grade to enhance drainage. These trees and shrubs can tolerate drought conditions if necessary but produce more blooms with some summer water. Their preference is for a deep but infrequent watering schedule.

Planting in summer works better for Crape Myrtles than some other trees, which may develop transplant shock. Their roots grow faster in the heat of summer, which helps them to adapt to their new growing site.

Care of Crape Myrtles

• Plant in hot, full-sun locations.
• Feed with a slow-release fertilizer, such as Osmocote to give them a steady flow of nutrients throughout the growing season.
• Water deeply throughout the summer.
• Mulch around the base to help retain water.

Pruning Crape Myrtles

Lagerstroemia species should be pruned minimally in late winter. They bloom on new wood, so trimming in the spring and summer should be avoided, as this would remove the flower buds. Pruning should be limited to general removal of any dead branches, raising the branch level of the tree to reveal the attractive bark, as well as  general thinning to encourage air circulation and discourage powdery mildew, which they can be susceptible to.

Multi-Use Trees

Not only do these trees function well as a patio or street tree, they also make the perfect focal-point tree since they offer year-round interest. These shrubs or trees can be used in mass plantings to line a driveway or path. They also blend in well and provide late summer color in a sunny mixed planting border or a drought tolerant garden.

Lagerstroemia Cultivars Commonly Available:

Lagerstoemia ‘Dynamite’

Bright red and beautiful flowers burst from this show-stopping tree! The leaves emerge red in spring and mature into a handsome dark green. A medium-sized Crape Myrtle grows 15-20’ tall and 10-15’ wide.

Lagerstroemia ‘Muskogee’

The blooms are a delicate lavender color, which light up the tree in late summer and are followed by an orange fall color. The tree reaches 20-30’ tall and 15-20’ wide. A fast growing cultivar.

Lagerstroemia’Natchez’

The flowers are pure white and cover the tree in mid or late summer. It grows to a height of 25-30’ and a width of 15-25’.

Lagerstroemia ‘Tuscarora’ 

Produces vibrant showy coral-pink blooms. The tree reaches 15’ tall and wide.

Contact Frontier Landscaping to help you select and plant the perfect crape myrtle tree for your yard.

Plant a Golden Rain Tree in Your Garden

The Golden Rain Tree is a beautiful addition to your yard. Its name comes from the profusion of small yellow blooms that fall like golden rain and then blanket the ground. Also known by the botanical name Koelreuteria paniculata, this charming deciduous tree originates from North China, Korea, and Japan. It belongs to the family of Sapindaceae. This family contains trees such as the Dodonaea – the hopseed bush, which has similar papery fruit. Another example is Litchi chinensis – the tree that produces Lychee fruit, which are widely used to make preserves.

Beautiful Blooms

The Golden Rain Tree provides year-round interest. In late spring or summer, Koelreuteria paniculata produces large flower panicles rising upwards from the branches. They consist of many individual yellow, fragrant flowers approximately 1/2” in size. Their plentiful nectar attracts honey bees to the tree. In the center of the blooms is an orange speck, which provides an attractive accent. The blooms are followed by papery seed pods like hanging Chinese lanterns, which develop in the fall and persist into winter. They are chartreuse colored, ripening to pink-orange and then bronze as they mature.

The leaves are compound, meaning that they are made up of many sub-divided leaflets – up to 17 in one leaf. The leaflets are irregularly shaped with jagged teeth and are a handsome dark green in color. They range in size from 6” to 15” long. In fall the leaves turn an attractive yellow, highlighting the seed pods and enhancing the tree’s seasonal display. The bark is an attractive grey color with vertical furrows and ridges.

Uses in the Landscape

The Golden Rain Tree develops an irregularly-shaped, but attractive, rounded canopy as it matures. It reaches 30-40’ in height and width, making it a perfect small tree for the landscape. Its seasonal interest makes it a good focal point, specimen, or shade tree for your yard. It also works well as a street tree, as it is tolerant of air pollution and a wide range of soils – alkaline or acidic, as well as clay, sandy, or rocky.

Growing Conditions for the Golden Rain Tree

This adaptable, hardy tree is also somewhat drought tolerant and thrives in our climate (USDA zones: 5-9). The Golden Rain Tree does need full sun and thrives with at least 6 hours of sunlight a day. It can tolerate dry conditions but likes a moderate amount of water for optimal growth, which is fairly fast, growing from 13-24” in one year. Once established it needs deep, regular watering in the dry, summer months. It can be susceptible to root rot, so it’s worth amending heavy clay soil with some soil conditioner.

Koelreuteria paniculata is a fantastic tree to plant in landscapes in the Pacific Northwest. It is tough and easily adapts to its growing conditions without fuss, as long as it has the requisite amount of sun! Perhaps as a consequence of this tolerance of a range of environments, there aren’t many cultivars that have been developed. But here are a few to consider:

• Koelreuteria paniculata ‘Fastigiata’ has all the benefits of the regular species but has a narrow, columnar growth habit that can be useful for smaller gardens, with a spread of only 6’. Great for screening out the street in front yards or neighbors in the back!
• Koelreuteria ‘September’ is a smaller cultivar reaching around 25’ tall. Its bloom time is later than the regular species, from July into September. Perfect for adding some late summer blooms to your yard.
• Koelreuteria ‘Stadher’s Hill’ is a slightly smaller tree than the regular species, reaching up to 30’ tall and wide, with bright pink pods following the flowers.

Contact Frontier Landscaping today to help you select and plant the right Golden Rain Tree for your yard.