Cindy Waters, University of California Master Gardener, Napa County
There is a beautiful home for sale in my neighborhood that was recently featured in the New York Times. The home for sale features a magnolia. It is a truly beautiful tree that is currently in bloom. It has shiny blue-green leaves that are cool and refreshing on the hottest days. I drive by it every day and marvel at its beauty.
This tree is a Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora). It is an evergreen magnolia with large white flowers. You will also see many deciduous magnolias around town, called saucer magnolias (Magnolia soulangeana). Saucer magnolias are smaller than the Southern magnolia and can reach up to a two-story house. Saucer magnolias come in many colors, but the most common one you will see in Napa is the pink one.
According to the Sunset Western Garden Book, early spring is the best time to plant the tree with the root ball wrapped in burlap. Potted magnolias can be planted at any time, so if you are interested in this tree that will add beauty and value to your garden, make a note of it in your gardening notebook. Magnolias need sun to flower, but they do not do well in scorching, windy locations. Magnolias are considered excellent landscaping trees, with one caveat: no grass can grow under them. Keep that in mind.
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Magnolia roots are sensitive and easily damaged. When planting a tree, it is best to make some markers to indicate the root spread (these can be removed once the tree is established). Dig a hole about 1.5 times the size of the root mass, but a little less deep. The root cavity should be level with the surrounding ground. Add some compost, then mulch. Leave some space between the mulch and the trunk. Make sure the mulch does not touch the trunk. Depending on your soil, you may need to fertilize it from time to time. If the soil is too alkaline, magnolia leaves will turn yellow from iron deficiency, so use an iron chelate. For nitrogen deficiency, use a slow-release fertilizer. Do not over-fertilize.
The best way to water a magnolia is by dripping along the base. You should water it deeply, not by splashing water from the surface, which will consume too much water and not hydrate it properly. Once the tree is established, it doesn't need as much water.
Magnolias don't need much pruning. A friend in Virginia has never pruned her Southern magnolia. The tree is 20 years old, 60 feet tall, and doing great. (She doesn't even water it because Virginia gets rain in the summer.) The best time to prune deciduous magnolias is after they bloom. Prune to shape and remove unnecessary branches. Evergreen magnolias should be pruned in winter before they grow much in the spring. If you prune a magnolia, wear gloves because the sap from the wood can irritate the skin.
Biologically, the magnolia is an ancient tree. According to the Smithsonian Institution, in the Cretaceous period, dinosaurs roamed the earth, but there were no bees. At that time, magnolias were pollinated by beetles. That is why the evolution of the magnolia is unusual. Magnolia flowers have very tough carpels, or pistils, that resemble stamens. The petals attract pollinators, and the sepals protect the plant's reproductive organs. The petals and stamens of magnolias are similar in size and color, so the sepals are called tepals. When a beetle comes to the flower, it rolls in the pollen and covers itself with pollen. In the evening, the tepals cover the beetle. In the morning, the tepals open to release the beetle, which flies off to pollinate another flower. In this way, the magnolia has achieved cross-pollination, giving rise to a stronger plant that has survived for millions of years.
Magnolia berries are shaped like pine cones and covered with vesicles that contain reddish-orange seeds that birds love to eat and disperse far and wide.
Magnolia is named after Pierre Magnolle, a 17th-century French botanist who worked to classify plants before the Linnaean system we use today. He had an “intuitive understanding” of plant relationships based on their similar characteristics, according to the Smithsonian Institution.
I'm fascinated by magnolias. Maybe it's nostalgia. I spent my childhood in South Carolina. Once a week, an old lady would drive through our neighborhood in her Model T, carrying coffee cans in the back filled with flowers she grew. Her name was Miss Corrie, and my mother would send us to buy magnolia buds. She would place the buds in a dish of water, and we would watch them open. There would be a little crackling sound as the petals unfolded. The flowers had a faint citrus scent. When we placed an open bud on our outdoor patio table, a bumblebee would literally crawl into it. I was only six years old, but I knew exactly how the bumblebee felt.
Library Talks: Join us for “All About Lavender,” hosted by the UC Master Gardeners and Napa County Library, on Thursday, June 6, from 7-8 pm on Zoom. Have you ever wondered what to do with the beautiful lavender growing in your backyard? Learn what lavender needs to thrive and gather ideas to incorporate into your own handmade projects. Register to receive the Zoom link: https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=41873
WORKSHOP: Join the “Planting for Monarchs and Other Pollinators” workshop hosted by the UC Master Gardeners of Napa County on Sunday, June 16, from 2-4 p.m. at the Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington St., Yountville. Learn about host and nectar plants and how to plant them in your garden. This workshop is hosted in partnership with the Yountville Parks and Recreation Department. Register on their website.[大人向けアクティビティ],[UC マスター ガーデナーズ],[オオカバマダラやその他の花粉媒介者のための植栽]Click on:
Help Desk: The Master Gardener Help Desk is available to answer garden questions Monday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the University of California Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Ave., Suite 4, Napa. Or, submit your questions to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. Include your name, address, phone number and a brief description.
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Cindy Watter is a UC Master Gardener for Napa County.
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