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.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

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.

Search Smarty Plants

See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

rate this answer

2 ratings

Wednesday - October 20, 2010

From: Dallas, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Propagation
Title: Growing Magnolia from Seed in Dallas
Answered by: Mike Tomme

QUESTION:

I recently visited the property that had once been my grandmother's. Lots of memories. The house burned down years ago, but the magnolia tree that she loved still stood. I gathered several dried seed pods and put them in a bag thinking I would grow a magnolia from my grandmother's tree. When I got home, there were five red seeds in the bottom of the sack. My grandmother had five children including my mother so I sort of think I am supposed to try this. Anything you can offer that would help me grow these seeds would be appreciated. I believe the tree is the variety grandiflora. Patti Herndon

ANSWER:

Let's see here - five seeds, five children, yep, you're supposed to try this.

Magnolia grandiflora (Southern magnolia) is a magnificent tree and it holds a special place for all of us from the south.

Dr. William C. Welch of Texas A&M has written an article about the southern magnolia. In that article, he gives detailed instructions on how to propagate the tree from seed, including the preparation and care of the seeds. Here is that part of the article:

_________

There are frequent requests to my office for instructions on growing magnolias from seed. The seeds should be collected as soon as possible after the fruit is mature which is usually mid-September or early October. The cone-like fruit should be spread out to dry for several days until they open. The seeds can then be shaken from the dried cone or fruit.

If the seed is to be kept for any length of time, the red pulp should be allowed to dry enough to lose its fleshy character, placed in sealed containers and stored at 32 to 41 degrees F. If stored over winter at room temperature seed will lose its viability. The seed should be cleaned before planting or stratifying. To remove the fleshy seed coat, soak the seed overnight in warm water. Remove the seed coat by rubbing against hardware cloth or window screening. After cleaning, the seeds should be sown immediately or stored for 3 to 6 months at about 40 degrees F and planted in the spring. An excellent way to stratify seeds is to use a polyethylene bag and place alternating layers of a moist medium such as a sand and peat mixture and seeds in the bag. Tie the top of the bag and place in a refrigerator at about 40 degrees. The medium should be just moist enough to stick together but not so wet that it will drip if squeezed by hand.

Whether sown in the fall or stratified in the refrigerator and sown in the spring, the seeds should be covered with about l/4" of soil and mulched to prevent drying. Seedbeds should be kept moist until germination is complete. Partial shade should be provided the first summer for seedlings.