Magnolia trees are beautiful, and their flowers bring an aesthetic feeling to the backyard. Before purchasing the tree, most people ask whether the magnolias lose their leaves in winter.
The loss of leaves depends on the variety you choose. Most magnolia tree species lose their leaves in winter, with a few maintaining them all year round.
Magnolia trees lose their leaves in late April and May, whereas, in most species, the leaves turn yellow before shedding.
Let’s learn more about magnolia trees and losing their leaves. Keep reading
Deciduous Magnolia Tree Species
Most magnolia species fall under this category, with the saucer magnolia at the top of the list. It has purple or pink flowers and grows in hardiness zones 4 to 9.
Sprenger magnolia is another deciduous tree with a low spreading canopy, white and pink flowers in spring, plus its leaves change to bronze or gold when they fall.
Bigleaf magnolia is well known for its oblong leaves. Its leaves turn yellow before fall. The tree grows up to 40 feet tall and produces wide white flowers with a yellow base.
Star magnolia, originating from Asia, is a common deciduous tree with star-shaped flowers and grows up to 20 feet tall.
Evergreen Magnolia Tree Species
The southern magnolia tree is the most common evergreen tree that keeps its leaves all year round. It has large white blossoms and can grow to 80ft with a spread of 50 feet.
Additionally, there’s the champaca magnolia, an evergreen, slow-growing tree known for its fragrant flowers.
Why Do the Leaves Fall in Winter?
Falling of leaves helps in keeping the tree alive. When the leaves fall, the tree can conserve water and energy. In winter, there’s reduced daylight, and the plant produces less chlorophyll that keeps the leaves green; hence the leaves change their color before falling.
When winter approaches, the tree’s hormones start absorbing moisture from the leaves and storing it in the trunk, and the tree branches and the leaves lose their chlorophyll and turn yellow, red, or orange.
Another reason why magnolias shed their leaves in winter is to conserve the energy they need for spring flowering. Your tree can lose many flowers at once, but there’s no need to panic since it will develop new ones after flowering.
How Do You Keep a Magnolia Tree Healthy?
1. Mulching
Mulching the base of your tree helps maintain moisture and prevents the soil from getting compacted. The mulch helps in reducing the weeds population.
The mulch will protect the tree in cold and hot temperatures. It maintains heat around the roots in winter, which keeps the tree healthy.
The organic mulch should be between 2 and 4 inches thick, depending on the material. The best part is you can use the fallen leaves as mulch. Please don’t place mulch that covers the trunk since it might cause stunted growth or inhibit diseases.
2. Watering
Ensure you water the tree when necessary, considering the temperatures at that time. You can water your magnolia tree twice or thrice a week during high temperatures to keep the root balls moisturized.
Ensure you check whether the root balls are still wet before your next watering to avoid adding excess water that could harm your beautiful tree. Most magnolia species don’t need regular watering after six months since they can withstand high temperatures.
3. Sunlight and Good Soil Conditions
When planting your magnolia tree, ensure it’s an area that accesses full sunlight and shade to keep the tree healthy. A good shade protects the tree from the scorching afternoon sun.
Check that the soil is porous, well-draining, and porous to allow aeration and drainage, and the PH is between 5 and 6.5 for the plant to survive well.
Do Magnolia Leaves Grow Again?
When the blooming season is back, the leaves will grow back. The leaves start growing in spring, and if your tree doesn’t bloom, you need to check whether it has a serious health issue.
How Long Do Magnolia Leaves Last?
When magnolia leaves fall, they can stay in the new state for up to 3 days without water. The leaves dry well, maintain a beautiful look, and can last up to 3 months, and you can use them to make a beautiful magnolia garland.
Do Magnolia Trees Lose Their Leaves Every Year?
Yes. Deciduous magnolia trees shed their leaves in winter to conserve water and energy. However, evergreen species keep their leaves all year round, and the semi-deciduous ones keep most of them.
The evergreen southern magnolia sheds its leaves in spring as the new leaves push the older ones. The leaves don’t fall at once.
Wrap up
Magnolia tree leaves falling in winter is normal and shouldn’t worry you. The leaves fall before winter to conserve energy and water by storing them in the trunk and branches. The color the leaves turn into before shedding depends on the magnolia variety.
Before winter, prepare to clean up your backyard if you have some deciduous magnolias. I love that these trees require minimal maintenance. However, if you have evergreen magnolias, they will save you energy.
