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Saucer Magnolia
Magnolia × soulangeana
Saucer Magnolia blooms from March through April.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Saucer Magnolia
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–9. Expect it to reach about 23 ft tall and 20 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 12 years (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Saucer Magnolia. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Saucer Magnolia
Plant Saucer Magnolia in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 9, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from March to April.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Saucer Magnolia get?
23 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult20 ftwideSee Saucer Magnolia in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Saucer Magnolia
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Give Saucer Magnolia about 20 ft of clear ground in every direction, measured from its center. It is one plant with room around it, not a row, and a raised bed is too small for it.
Add Saucer Magnolia to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Saucer Magnolia's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 10 published sources on July 30, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State ExtensionMagnolia x soulangeanaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- The Morton ArboretumSaucer magnoliaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenMagnolia x soulangeanaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- umass.eduUMass Extension Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry (Saucer Magnolia)height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- woodyplants.cals.cornell.eduCornell University Woody Plants Database (Magnolia x soulangiana)height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- University of Florida IFASUF/IFAS Gardening Solutions (Saucer Magnolia)height, spread, hardiness zones and sun
- University of Arkansas ExtensionSaucer Magnoliaheight, spread and years to mature size
- University of Florida IFASUF/IFAS EDIS ST388, Magnolia x soulangeana 'Burgundy'sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- University of Florida IFASUF/IFAS EDIS ST389, Magnolia x soulangeana 'Lilliputian'sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- University of Illinois ExtensionSaucer Magnoliaheight, hardiness zones and sun
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
12 more colors in the Magnolia group
Same genus, similar care - pick the one you are growing.
Compare every variety in the Magnolia group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandrina | Pink | Mar–Apr | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 20 ft × 16 ft |
| Ann | Purple | Apr–May | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 11 ft × 10 ft |
| Betty | Purple | Apr–May | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 13 ft × 13 ft |
| Butterflies | Yellow | Apr | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 16 ft × 13 ft |
| Genie | Purple | Apr–May | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 13 ft × 10 ft |
| Jane | Purple | Apr–May | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 13 ft × 10 ft |
| Leonard Messel | Pink | Mar–Apr | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 20 ft × 16 ft |
| Little Gem | White | May–Sep | Zones 7–10 | Full sun | 20 ft × 10 ft |
| Royal Star | White | Mar–Apr | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 13 ft × 13 ft |
| Saucerthis page | Pink | Mar–Apr | Zones 4–9 | Full sun | 23 ft × 20 ft |
| Southern | White | May–Jul | Zones 7–10 | Full sun | 59 ft × 39 ft |
| Star | White | Mar | Zones 4–8 | Full sun | 16 ft × 16 ft |
| Sweetbay | White | May–Jul | Zones 5–10 | Part sun | 30 ft × 20 ft |
Good to know about Saucer Magnolia
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
Magnolias are ancient, evolving about 100 million years ago before bees existed, so beetles do most of the pollinating. Their thick, leathery tepals withstand clumsy beetle feeding. per University of Illinois
Bloom timing tracks region
Flowers open in late winter in the South but wait until April in the North. Newer late-blooming cultivars flower later still, dodging frost. per NC State and UMass
Scale spray timing varies
Target magnolia scale at its crawler stage: early August in Iowa, late August to early September in Wisconsin. Use a local extension alert. per Iowa State and Wisconsin
Frost ruins the early bloom
Blooms open on bare branches, so late frosts brown them. Keep it out of frost pockets and warm south walls whose heat pushes buds open too early. per NC State and UMass
Watch for magnolia scale
Magnolia scale, a large soft scale, studs twigs with shiny bumps and drips honeydew that grows black sooty mold. Control the scale and the mold clears. per NC State and Wisconsin
Wants acidic, moist soil
It prefers moist but well-drained, acidic, organically rich soil, and dislikes dry or alkaline ground. Its fleshy, shallow roots need room and steady moisture. per NC State
Mildly deer resistant
NC State rates it mildly resistant to deer damage, so browsers tend to pass it by, though mild resistance is not deer-proof. per NC State
What pairs well with Saucer Magnolia
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Joe Pye Weed
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; blooms in midsummer, extending the bed's season; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; shorter at 6 ft, an understory layer.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in late summer, extending the bed's season; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; shorter at 5 ft, an understory layer.
Purple Coneflower
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early summer, extending the bed's season; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; low at 3 ft, to carpet the ground beneath it.
Feather Reed Grass
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early summer, extending the bed's season; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; shorter at 5 ft, an understory layer.
Pampas Grass
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late summer, extending the bed's season; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; shorter at 8 ft, an understory layer.
Little Bluestem
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late summer, extending the bed's season; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; low at 3.5 ft, to carpet the ground beneath it.
Ninebark
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; shorter at 6.5 ft, an understory layer; its white flowers settle the pink.
Gardenia
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate to high water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; shorter at 4 ft, an understory layer; they only overlap in zones 8 to 9.
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Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.