Magnolia is a genus of flowering plants that produce spectacular flowers throughout the spring and summer. They are also known as sweet bay magnolias. These flowering shrubs are native to eastern North America and can be found in natural habitats across the region. Magnolias grow best in full sun to partial shade.
It is common for these shrubs to self-sow, which means they produce new shoots from their roots that grow into new plants. This makes it easier for them to spread through your garden space at a rapid rate. Self-sowing plants reduce the time needed to create an appealing landscape and also cut down on maintenance costs.
In this article we will focus on how do magnolias self-pollinate and what are the benefits of having them in your garden or landscaping?
How Are Magnolias Pollinated?
Magnolia flowers are irregularly shaped and are fragrant. Flowers are made up of five petals that open in a star shape and have a yellow center. The flowers turn into seed pods after fertilization, which is done by the wind, insects or birds. These pods turn into seeds that remain in the ground to grow new plants.
Self-sowing magnolias avoid many of the problems associated with cross-pollination because they produce their own pollen as they mature. Flowers that pollinate themselves produce more flowers throughout the year and you will get more blooms per plant. In addition, this will reduce your time spent and money spent on fertilizing your garden space and will also decrease your chances for unwanted pests or diseases to take hold in your garden or landscaping property.
Are Magnolias Insect Pollinated?
Many plants are pollinated by insects. These plants have the ability to produce flowers with large amounts of nectar, which is a type of food that attracts beneficial insects who then transfer pollen from one plant to another. Plants that are insect pollinated have a greater chance of surviving to reproduce and also have more chances at self-pollination.
Magnolias are not insect pollinated and therefore do not rely on beneficial insects for reproduction. This may be because they are native to eastern North America and were able to thrive without the help of insects. Magnolia flowers can be pollinated by other parts of the plant if the flower is large enough in size (about 2 inches wide).
Do You Need 2 Magnolia Trees?
In order to self-sow, magnolias need to be planted in the ground. It is not usually recommended to plant two magnolia trees in close proximity because they can cross-pollinate and hybridize which reduces the genetic diversity of your magnolia plants. When you have more than one tree of the same variety, it is difficult to maintain a balanced ecosystem. This makes it harder for them to thrive and grow healthy.
Do Magnolias Have Male and Female Trees?
In most cases, magnolias form a single flower per stem. However, some varieties may produce two or three flowers at the same time.
In addition to flowering, there are also male and female trees in magnolias. Male trees are used to pollinate the female tree.
The male flowers have stamens that are covered with pollen-producing anthers and style branches that become reproductive shoots on the female tree. The female flowers have a long style branch that has ovaries located at the end of it. The ovaries release the seeds into a fruit called a capsule on the styles branch in early spring or summer when temperatures are optimal for germination.
