Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Sunday - May 24, 2009
From: Webster, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Trees
Title: Failure to bloom of Magnolia in Webster FL
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Do all Magnolias Bloom? I live in Central Florida - transplanted a Magnolia 7 1/2 years ago. It is a beautiful tree - very healthy - at least 10-12 ft. It has never had a bloom!! I have another little 2 ft tree that I planted this year in Feb. - It looks terrible - brown leaves - but has 4 flower buds right now! Why is this? What can I do to get my big tree to blossom?ANSWER:
That's a puzzle to us, too. There are 8 members of the Magnolia genus in our Native Plant Database; 6 of them are native to Florida:
Magnolia acuminata (cucumber-tree) - flowers not showy, only 2 inches across and greenish in color
Magnolia ashei (Ashe's magnolia) - very local distribution, native only to Florida Panhandle
Magnolia grandiflora (southern magnolia)
Magnolia pyramidata (pyramid magnolia)
Magnolia tripetala (umbrella-tree)
Magnolia virginiana (sweetbay)
According to the descriptions of these trees in our database, the only one that might possibly be blooming without your being aware of it is Magnolia acuminata (cucumber-tree). Please go to the Image Gallery page on this tree and see if there is any possibility it is what you have in your garden. We doubt it, because this tree is shown on the USDA Plant Profile as growing only in two counties in the far western part of the Florida Panhandle.
It is far more likely that you have the Magnolia grandiflora (southern magnolia), so we will do a little more research to find out if there are specific reasons why this tree would not be blooming. We found a website called Magnolia Questions and Answers Page, from the Essence of Magnolias and Southern Creations, Inc. websites. You should read all of the article, but we will give you some excerpts on what it said about blooming. In the first place, you may not even know what your magnolia is-it may have been sold as "Southern Magnolia." You could wait a long time for that tree to bloom. If the tree was grown from seed (pretty rare), it definitely won't bloom for 15 to 20 years. The magnolia is slow-growing, and it must reach a certain size, needs to adjust to its surroundings, and needs plenty of sun to bloom. It's possible that the smaller tree that is already blooming is the named cultivar dwarf "Little Gem," which grows very slowly, but will bloom when only 3 to 4 feet tall.
We will make a couple suggestions. The first is that while the magnolia needs acidic soil and plenty of water, it does not need water standing on its roots, and they will quickly rot. Make sure the drainage is good. Second, watch the fertilizer. It is a well-known fact that too much nitrogen will discourage blooming in just about any plant. Liquid fertilizer is fine, and probably a good idea for the first few years the tree is in the ground, but cut way back on the nitrogen content. Don't use the same fertilizer you do on your lawn. So, more patience and less nitrogen may be your only possible actions.
More Trees Questions
Identity of fragrant oak-like leaves used at funeral
October 14, 2012 - In the early 1950's I attended my grandmother's funeral in the Southern West Virginia area. At the gravesite, the funeral home had provided what looked like dried oak leaves, (red brown and gold col...
view the full question and answer
Supplier for non-native Norfolk Pine to East Texas
March 17, 2013 - I would like to buy a Norfolk Pine Tree for my uncle who lives 90 miles east of Dallas, Texas. He saw my Norfolk Pine tree in CA which is 30 to 40 ft. tall. Where can I find a company that will ship...
view the full question and answer
Split trunk in Bald Cypress in Uhland, TX
May 31, 2009 - I live just south of Austin, and near the pond (stock tank) is a bald cypress, young, about 12-15 yrs., and after this past year, drought and all, I was dismayed to find it not leafing out. When I in...
view the full question and answer
Disagreement on amending soil for planting from Austin
September 01, 2012 - In today's newspaper column, you answered a question about transplanting a redbud. You said to follow the instructions on the WFC web site, except you recommended adding compost to the backfill soil....
view the full question and answer
Thuja arborvitae not thriving in Austin
November 04, 2010 - I planted 5 giant thuja arborvitae two years ago. They have grown six inches and aren't doing that well. I live in Austin Texas and it was a hot summer. I water them 2x a week, now 1x a week. They a...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |