training little gem magnolia as standard

Hello all: I have purchased a Little Gem magnolia for my very small yard. I want to remove the lower branches to train it as a standard. I have read some stuff that suggests this is harmful to the plant. Is it safe to do this?

Thanks,

 

This cultivar is prone to snow damage, low temperatures and foliage mildew in this region. Your best bet is to fan it out against a large sunny wall, use something else as a free-standing specimen with a clear trunk.

 

Thanks for the input. Do you know if all the evergreen magnolias are subject to these vulnerabilities in Vancouver? I was hoping to use this one to screen a garage ( so it would have to be free standing). Might have to look for something else....

 

'Victoria' and 'St. Mary' are better bets. But all are definite trees, needing a large space in time, unless grown as annually pruned espalier or topiary.

And all drop litter continuously throughout the growing season.