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Saucer Magnolia
Magnolia × soulangeana
Saucer Magnolia blooms from March through April.
Mature size, 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.
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.
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. For the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 9 range, 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: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in March.
12 more colors in the Magnolia family
Same family, similar care - pick the one you are growing.
Good to know about Saucer Magnolia
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
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.
False Indigo
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; low at 3.3 ft, to carpet the ground beneath it.
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 5.9 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 4.9 ft, an understory layer.
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 4.9 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 8.2 ft, an understory layer.
Ninebark
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; shorter at 6.6 ft, an understory layer; a soft color beside the pink.
Maiden Grass
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early fall, extending the bed's season; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; shorter at 5.9 ft, an understory layer.
Climbing Rose
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in late spring as this one finishes; shorter at 9.8 ft, an understory layer; echoes the pink.
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