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Magnolia grandiflora blanchard ™
southern magnolia, evergreen magnolia
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Printer-friendly Fact Sheet
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| Outstanding Qualities |
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This selection of Magnolia grandiflora is known for its compact, upright habit and its outstanding foliage. The large, lustrous, leathery leaves are ornamented with a rich, rust-orange indumentum on their undersides. These handsome dark green leaves looks great year-round and are long lasting as cut greens. This makes them, and the unusual seed "cones," favorites for holiday arrangements. Blanchard™ is slow growing, eventually becoming pyramidal in maturity. It is worth seeking out in garden centers. Use it to create privacy in the garden or as a specimen and focal point. Its dark green foliage is a great background for other more seasonal plantings. The slow growth and controlled size also make it a good choice for courtyard and patio plantings. It originated in the early 1960s at the garden of Decatur D. Blanchard (1904 to 1973) in Wallace, NC, notes Arthur Lee Jacobsen in North American Landscape Trees. |
| Culture |
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Provide southern magnolias with good drainage and full to partial sun. They thrive in hot spots, where the extra heat encourages better flowering. These flowering evergreens prefer well-drained, sandy soil, but they tolerate average garden soil. Best growth and flowering requires occasional summer watering, but once established, southern magnolias withstand considerable drought. Garden gently under magnolias, for they have fleshy roots that can easily be damaged. The best approach for companions plants is to tuck in natural spreaders and let them flourish untouched. |
| Growing Habit |
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In youth Blanchard™ has an upright compact habit. It reaches 15 to 18 feet tall and 10 to 12 feet wide in ten years. Mature trees have a compact pyramidal shape 20 to 25 feet tall with similar spread. This clone is also noted for the strength of its branches and their ability to resist breaking under snow loads. |
| Hardiness |
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USDA zones 7 to 9 |
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© 2009 Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden
Funded by the Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation
Administered by the Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden