Do you love the beautiful magnolia tree and are wondering, how tall do magnolia trees get?
Well, the height of this beautiful floral tree depends on the variety and the area it’s grown in.
Magnolia trees are small with a moderate growth rate, and you can grow them into large shrubs up to 70 feet tall.
The spreading leaves become broader with age and give your backyard an appealing look with their circular and oval shape.
Let’s learn more about magnolia trees and how tall they can get. Stick on.
Common Types of Magnolia Trees
There are wide varieties of magnolia, and when choosing one, you need to know the different varieties. First, trees are grown for flowers, while others are for shrubs and shade.
Here are some common varieties and how tall they can get.
Southern Magnolia
The southern magnolia will be the best option if you live in a warm climate. The tree’s evergreen and glossy foliage makes it popular, not forgetting its large, beautiful flowers.
The evergreen tree grows between 50 and 90 ft tall and 2 to 4 ft in diameter. It has a large pith with a blocky appearance. Its terminal flower bud is 2-3 cm long and grows 6-8 inches from late spring.
Its fruits are 3 to 5 inches long and have cylindrical and hairy carpels, with each follicle having a 1.3 cm long seed that attaches to the pod through a thin thread. Its shallow root system spreads well, not to forget its 5 to 10 inches feathery leaves.
Star Magnolia
The variety is the most known and grows in colder areas, and the best part is that it starts blooming when it’s very small.
The broad shrub tree is slow growing but can get up to 15 feet tall, and the leaves grow between 4 and 8 inches long with a width of 3 inches.
The flowers grow up to 5 inches, and their diameter has 12 to 40 tepals (petal-like parts) that bring an overall look of a starburst hence the name star magnolia.
You can train this tree to grow into a small tree or shrub, depending on how you like it. Plant your tree in loamy soils for better results.
Saucer Magnolia
This deciduous tree displays spectacular flowers before late winter and early spring. It adapts in winter but does better in warmer zones.
You can grow small tree cultivars into large shrubs or a large tree that grows between 40 and 70 feet tall.
It can have oval or circular leaves whose sizes range between 3 to 10 inches long and 2-10 inches wide.
The flower’s diameter ranges between 3 to 12 inches, where peak blooming occurs in early spring, and some plants can produce flowers in summer and fall.
Champaca Magnolia
The tree is famous for its fragrant yellow, orange, or creamy white flowers. Flowers are used for making perfumes due to their sweet fragrance. It can grow to a maximum height of 50m.
The typical size of a champaca magnolia tree is 30 feet, grown in tropical and humid subtropical areas. Most of these evergreen trees are found in South America and Asia.
Sweetbay Magnolia
The amazing magnolia tree grows to a height between 10- and 35 feet in full sun to part shade exposure. The tree is also known as a swamp magnolia.
The tree remains evergreen when grown in warmer conditions and tends to be a deciduous shrubby in cooler areas, plus it grows multiple stems.
It has creamy flowers that grow 2 to 3 inches wide and a light lemon scent. The leaves grow between 3 and 5 inches tall and look silvery.
How Fast Does a Magnolia Tree Grow?
The growth rates range from slow to medium, depending on the species. A typical magnolia tree’s height increases by about 12 to 24 inches annually.
How Much Space Does a Magnolia Tree Require?
The space depends on the variety. A tree-shaped one requires 4 to 8 meters in diameter, while the shrub-shaped and smaller varieties may take up smaller space.
What Is the Best Place to Plant a Magnolia Tree?
Plant your magnolia tree in an area that accesses full sun and shade. Most magnolia varieties do well in warm or dry climates since they benefit greatly from the hot afternoon sun.
The trees also do well in moist, slightly acidic, and well-drained soil, plus they can adapt to loam and sandy soils.
Can You Keep a Magnolia Tree Small?
Yes. You can keep your tree small by thinning out stems. You can also plant your tree in a pot that minimizes the spreading of the roots hence a smaller tree.
Final Thoughts
Magnolia trees are beautiful and add to your backyard’s beauty when well-maintained and planted in the right conditions. Different varieties have different growth rates, not to mention that their leaves may vary in shape, size, and color.
When getting a magnolia tree, ensure you get a variety that grows well in your neighborhood to prevent it from dying. Plant your tree in well-draining soil.
