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Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’
small-leaf southern magnolia
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Image © Lynne Thompson/Great Plant Picks |
Printer-friendly Fact Sheet
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| Outstanding Qualities |
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This dwarf southern magnolia is a real charmer. ‘Little Gem‘ has leathery, deep green leaves with cinnamon-brown undersides. The foliage is smaller than most other cultivars (to about 4 inches long) and densely covers the tree. ‘Little Gem’s compact branching habit makes it more resistant to snow breakage than other cultivars. In keeping with the plant’s scale, the ivory-white flowers are also dwarf – but their fragrance is undiminished! Each blossom releases an enticing floral-and-lemon scent, transporting you to visions of a Southern plantation. ‘Little Gem‘ works well as a large container plant. It typically branches low, creating a shrub-like appearance that is useful for screening. The stately presence of southern magnolias makes them wonderful specimen plants, while the diminuitive size of this cultivar make it especially useful as a patio tree. |
| 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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This tight-growing cultivar is more like a shrub than a tree. It reaches 8 to 10 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide in ten years. Mature trees can reach 15 to 18 feet tall and spread 10 to 12 feet wide. |
| 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