Southern magnolia

Magnolia grandiflora

Southeastern North American native evergreen magnolia with large leathery glossy dark green leaves (rusty felted beneath) and enormous fragrant cream-white waxy flowers through summer.

Hardiness ratings

Southern magnolia hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 6–10 −23.3 °C to 4.4 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H5 −15 °C to −10 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 7–9 −12 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 3–6 −5 °C to 15 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Plant as a specimen tree or against a tall wall — the standard evergreen magnolia of warm-temperate gardens worldwide, eventually 15 m or more
  • Lemon-scented enormous flowers in summer — most powerfully fragrant in the evening
  • Distinct from the deciduous magnolias already in the database (Magnolia × soulangeana, M. officinalis bark) — Magnolia grandiflora is evergreen and summer-flowering
  • Compact cultivars (‘Little Gem’, ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’) suit smaller gardens

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Southern magnolia against your zones

Reference

Southern magnolia on Wikipedia