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Discussion in 'Magnoliaceae' started by PurpleDragonFly, May 4, 2005.

  1. PurpleDragonFly

    PurpleDragonFly Member

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    what is the best kind of magnolia to plant in a pot on a balcony?
     
  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Spring bloom? Summer fragrance? Yearround foliage? Size of container?
     
  3. PurpleDragonFly

    PurpleDragonFly Member

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    Say a 12" plastic pot...can be up to 20"
    as long as there is summer folige is fine. Would i have to bring it inside in winter?(i can)
    I just want to know if i can plant it in a pot and keep it small.
     
  4. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    I can share with you my experience growing magnolias on a balcony. My favorite in terms of appearance is Magnolia/Michelia maudiae. It's evergreen, has blue/green foliage which appears on well-spaced arching laterals, and fragrant white flowers in early spring. I bought it in spring 2004 when it was about 2' tall growing in a 1-gal pot. Transferred to an 8" pot it grew to almost 7' by the end of the year. I moved it to a 10" pot and pruned it back to 4' this spring because of the height limitation of the balcony. It has since filled out with a mass of new leaves and is looking quite bushy. It does require a lot of water - I have to give it a good drink every day during the growing season. I don't know if my choice of magnolia is a good one - it is a large tree if grown in the ground - but it'll be interesting to find out.

    I bought a Magnolia/Michelia chapensis this spring and it's following a similar growth pattern. Now if only my Magnolia/Michelia figo, with its wonderful banana fragrance, was this robust!
     
  5. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    I also remember reading favorable comments on Magnolia sieboldii, a small deciduous shrub with fragrant white flowers. You may want to check it out.
     
  6. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Not much hort information, and it's a very close-up shot, but this magnolia was June 3rd's Botany Photo of the Day
     
  7. I have a Magnolia Sieboldii, the flowers a beautiful & wonderfully fragrant. It's a reasonably fast grower. I want to prune it to make it bushier. When is the best time to prune it & are there any specifics on pruning this bush?
     

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