I live in Zone 5 in the Kootenays and today was looking at a Magnolia Sieboldii. The nursery told me it is hardy to Zone 4, and grows from 6 - 15ft. high and wide. Since this tree will cost me $200 I would like to make sure it will live in my area. It will be in full sun but a protected area. It will also be the centrepiece in a secret garden room so I don't want it to die two years up the road. Any information would be much appreciated. Thank you. Jennifer
See zoning in Sunset Western Garden Book to see if thought suitable for your area. If you are in the interior suspect it won't like your conditions. Often needs some shade even on the coast for best performance, not likely to like hot dry winds. May not do well with minerals in irrigation water.
Thank you to whoever put my post in the magnolia section. Some interesting things to read here. Thank you for your reply regarding the sunset site. I checked it out. I decided to buy this magnolia as it seems it would be OK here. I am not in the hottest part of the interior. I am now looking for problems as there are some chewed, twisted, brown spots on small leaves. The lady in the nursery told me to spray with BTK which I don't have until I go to the city. This tree is about 6' tall and was full of bloom, many still there. There is one branch crossing but not rubbing. I am wondering whether to leave it or take it out. This is my first experience with a magnolia. Thanks. Jennifer
Hello Ron, thank you for your help. I shall try and load a couple of photos of the leaves of the newly purchased, 6' Magnolia sieboldii oyama tree. The nursery from whom I bought it told me to spray, on buying, with BTK Safers. I am, as you said, trying to find out what it is I am to spray for. On the third photo, it looks to me, as if there are eggs or something. I don't know if you can see it with the pixels I used for here. Thank you so much for your help Ron. Jenny
Not chewing but rather deformity such as might be produced by a trace mineral deficiency or perhaps an excess of a mineral - such as might occur if your water is too hard for it. Or some other non-pest-related factor.
Thank you for your advice Ron. I do appreciate your taking the time to look at this matter for me. I have made it a prominent feature in my Secret Garden and will arrange the whole little garden around it. Since it has just come from the nursery about a week ago, living in a container, it will be happy now to have space and shaded roots. Jenny
If just leaves all of the same age might have been mechanical or frost damage during budding out or other early stage.
Hi Ron, it would seem that there are two different sized leaves. However, it is a large tree, six feet tall and I am sure had some very dry spells in the small nursery from whom I bought it. It was watered with an overhead sprinkler. We also did have late frosts here and probably the tree was already at the nursery and container not dug into soil. However, the nursery do look after their plants. Thanks again for your help. Jenny
