If you are looking for some brilliant colour in the garden then Magnolia ‘Genie’ could be well worth a look.
This a M.coulangiana and M. liliflora hybrid and its from New Zealand. Lots of desirable characteristics, especially for the smaller garden. The deep red goblet shaped flowers appear in masses on bare branches in spring, and you will usually get a second flush of flowers later in summer.
Long flowering, in good conditions you will get nearly 2 months of flowers in spring. The foliage is an attractive green and this is a deciduous magnolia that will not grow to large.
Fairly upright, making it great for smaller gardens, and reaching around 4m in height in around 8 – 10 years. After this growth tapers off, but not the flowers.
Best grown in full sun except in hot climates with dry winds, where it will benefit from some protection from afternoon sun.
The waxy flowers seem to be long lasting, a deep red and tulip shaped.
Ideally grown in a sunny position in a humus rich moist soil. We suspect that Magnolia ‘Genie’ would also do well in a container given adequate moisture.
Care
- Dig in some well rotted compost before planting
- Water in well with a liquid seaweed fertilizer
- Mulch to maintain a cool moist root run.
- Pruning is generally not required, although dead or diseased wood should be removed. You can trim to keep tidy if needed.
- Tolerates cold climates.