Susan Magnolia Bushes

'Susan' Magnolia Trees

Fairly low vigour and wonderful upright "flamingo's beak" flowers all Spring characterise this well-behaved, shrubby Magnolia. Susan flowers hard from a young age, making a striking statement in reddish-purple.
To about 4m x 4m after 20 years.

Browse all of our ornamental shrubs, or our trees for small gardens.

Features:

• Popular variety for the UK
• Big purple-red-pink flowers in Apr-May
• Low maintenance, naturally tidy & slow growing
• Suitable for small gardens
• Hardy, but sheltered locations are best, especially in the North & Scotland
• To 4m x 4m

Growing Magnolias

The best soil is neutral or acidic, well drained, and slightly on the sandy side, but not prone to drying out in summer. They will tolerate most alkaline soils (shallow chalk may be a bit too much), but improve them well with organic matter and water well during hot summers.

The tree itself is fully hardy, but late spring frosts or strong winds can damage the flowers, so a sheltered location is best, especially in the North & Scotland.

The roots are quite shallow and delicate, so it is important not to trample the soil under the canopy and for about half a metre around it.

In Your Garden Design

Being such a nice plump shrub, it's ideal as a standalone specimen in a lawn, or screening a sunny back wall area.

Did You Know?

She was bred in the 1960's from M. liliiflora 'Nigra' × M. stellata 'Rosea' as one in a series known as ‘The Girls’ at the US National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. and named for Susan Skinner, the Arboretum director's daughter.