Hi, I live in the wet West Kootenays at about 2000 feet. Hot summers, lots of snow cover. I would like to plant Ann under a mature silver maple that overhangs most of the front southwest facing garden. I have a caragana hedge and several lilacs (vulgaris) nearby. Therefore, afternoon sun, partial shade. I have seen stellatas growing well in our valley, and a unidentified 8 foot magnolia with vase shaped deep pink blooms that blooms before leafing out. I noticed on one of your forums that the magnolia can be affected by lilac blight or virus. I read somewhere that magnolias should not be planted in morning sun to avoid frost damage to buds. What are my chances? Any suggestions? Thank you Barb
Ideally sheltered position (not fully exposed to wind) but plenty of light. Will grow as understorey shrub but usually magnolias appear best as isolated specimens and are not nearly as full and floriferous when shaded much. And large-growing maples are generally not especially suitable for serious underplanting. I recently had a 'Caerhays Belle' magnolia smashed by a fallen branch from a nearby bigleaf maple. This was to be the first year the 'Belle' was going to bloom. 'Ann' is one of the Kosar and De Vos magnolia hybrids from the US National Arboretum. These are very cold-hardy derivatives of crosses between star and lily magnolias undertaken to get very hardy magnolias that flower later than the star magnolia, when it is less frosty. The general aspect of most of the selections named and introduced is most like that of the lily magnolia. http://www.usna.usda.gov/Newintro/magnoli1.html
Thank you Ron for the input. I have two huge (75+feet) mature silver maples in the front as well as 2 big weeping willows (though pollarded by the power company to keep them away from the overhead lines). I could plant Ann out closer to the caragana hedge to avoid falling branches from the maples but the hedge is periodically afflicted with powdery mildew with our hot dry summers. Will the mildew affect the Magnolia? I can't plant it along the driveway as we have 6 to 8 foot snowbanks there in winter thus risk of broken branches from the weight of the snow. I like the look of magnolias in winter, the grey bark and the fat buds. And Ann seems to be the hardiest of the little girls series and I like the colour. I know they don't like to be moved so would like to choose the best spot for it. Do you know how fast growing these cultivars are? Mine will be 15" to 18" tall to start with. What a blow to wait for years for your magnolia to bloom to have it battered by the big leaf branch. Did you put the broken branch in water to see if it would bloom? I'm wondering if I put some mycorhizzum (?) in the planting hole if it will help establish it better? I have some that I bought for my peas and beans.
This hybrid magnolia series is apt to mildew, as is the lily magnolia parent. Both the star and lily magnolia parents are slow-growing large shrubs/small trees with the hybrids inheriting the same growth habits. Like other magnolias these show up best against a dark background, such as a conifer hedge. Value of mycorrhizal inoculation would depend on fungus used being one that was likely to interact with the magnolia in a way beneficial to the magnolia. Inoculation of peas when planting is a different operation, involving different organisms.
