Southern Magnolia
Magnolia grandiflora
Twelve-inch white blooms scented of lemon and cream, glossy evergreen leaves year-round, and red fall seeds for mockingbirds. Give it room.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
No other native evergreen tree commands a landscape the way southern magnolia does. year-round presence, evening fragrance, and a bloom event you plan your May around.
Southern magnolia is one of the iconic native trees of the American South: twelve-inch white flowers with the scent of lemon and cream opening in May and June, glossy dark green foliage year-round, and a commanding presence that announces itself from a hundred yards. Walking past a magnolia in full bloom on a warm evening is one of those experiences that stays with you. The fragrance carries through open windows and drifts through the yard in late afternoon. The cones split open in fall to reveal bright red seeds suspended on threads, taken by mockingbirds, gray catbirds, and squirrels. Dense evergreen canopy creates a dry microhabitat underneath that suits certain groundcovers and spring bulbs. Give it room. This is a significant tree, and it will outlive its planter by generations.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown southern magnolia propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 40–80 ft · 20–40 ft wide
- Bloom time
- May–June
- Bloom color
- White
- USDA zones
- 6–10
- Family
- Magnoliaceae
- Native range
- Southeastern United States
Care notes for southern magnolia.
Full sun to light shade, well-drained acidic soil. Water consistently for the first three years. Fallen leaves are leathery and slow to decompose. mulch over them or rake annually. Prune in late winter to remove lower branches if needed; do not over-prune the interior. Adaptable once established.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside southern magnolia.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.