It does not take a big yard to grow a show-stopping magnolia tree—there are several dwarf varieties that you can plant in a small space or a container. Most of the compact magnolia cultivars max out at 20 feet in height.
Growing magnolias in pots has another advantage: Unlike planting a magnolia in the landscape, your hardiness zone does not limit your choice of cultivars. If your climate is too cold for a particular cultivar, you can overwinter the potted tree indoors.
Dwarf Magnolia Tree Varieties
Magnolia varieties that are suitable for growing in pots include:
- Ann Magnolia (Magnolia liliflora x ‘Ann’) whose fragrant flowers are reddish-purple on the outside and white inside. This hybrid magnolia slowly grows to a mature size of 10 to 12 feet in height and width. USDA Zone 4-9
- Baby Grand Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora var. ‘STRgra’), an evergreen magnolia with a rounded growth habit and creamy-white flowers. It grows 8 to 10 feet tall and wide. USDA Zone 7-9
- Black Tulip Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana ‘Jurmag1’), one of the darkest tulip magnolias with deep burgundy-red flowers. It grows 12 to 20 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide. USDA Zone 5-9
- Genie Magnolia (Magnolia x ‘Genie’) with deep maroon-purple flower buds that open to pink flowers. It blooms again in late summer. The tree has a pyramidal shape, growing 10 to 13 feet tall and only 5 feet wide. USDA Zone 4-9
- Little Gem Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’), a dwarf southern magnolia with smaller, dark evergreen foliage than the species and large, white fragrant blooms. It grows 15 to 20 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide. USDA Zone 7-9
- Rose Marie Magnolia (Magnolia ‘Rose Marie’), a late-blooming hybrid with frost-hardy buds and bright pink flowers. It grows moderately slowly to 10 to 12 feet in height and 8 feet in width. USDA Zone 5-8
- Royal Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata ‘Royal Star’), an early-blooming magnolia with fragrant white double flowers. It grows 10 to 15 feet tall and 10 to 12 feet wide. USDA Zone 4-8
- Teddy Bear Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Southern Charm’), a compact southern evergreen magnolia with an upright growth habit. The large, white, and fragrant flowers appear in the spring and again in the early fall. It grows 15 to 20 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide. USDA Zone 7-9
Potted Magnolia Care
Light
While the best flowering of magnolias usually occurs in full sun, some varieties handle partial shade better than others. If your planting location does not offer full sun, select a more shade-tolerant variety. Full sun and hot weather leads to intense heat buildup in container plants so if you find your tree is withering, move the pot to a slightly shadier spot, preferably with some afternoon shade.
Soil
Fill the pot with soil that has been mixed with compost, which adds nutrients and helps retain moisture. Also, add peat moss for acidity (magnolias need slightly acidic soil).
Good drainage of the potting soil is equally important. If the soil seems dense, add some perlite.
Water
For the first few months, water several times a week to keep the soil moist but not soggy. Once your tree is established in its container, watering it slowly but deeply once a week is usually sufficient, except in hot summer weather, when it needs more frequent watering.
Temperature and Humidity
The temperature tolerance of dwarf magnolias varies. Southern magnolias prefer temperate and humid semitropical climates while compact cultivars of other species, such as the star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) are winter-hardy in a cool climate.
Fertilizer
Delay fertilizing for the first few months until the tree is settled. Use a granular slow-release fertilizer for flowering trees and shrubs once in the spring, around March, and again in the early fall, around September.
Pruning
Dwarf varieties of magnolias are slow to moderate growers and don’t need a lot of pruning. Prune lightly after the bloom to remove damaged or crossing branches. Magnolias bloom on old wood so never prune it late in the season or during its dormancy, or you will remove flower buds.
Potting and Repotting Magnolia Trees
Choose a container that is at least two to three times bigger than the nursery pot. Keep in mind though that you might need to move the container, so it should be manageable in size and weight. If you think you'll be moving the tree frequently, set up your container on a rolling plant caddy before you add the soil.
Make sure the container has large drainage holes. Adding pot shards, rocks, or a layer of perlite at the bottom of the container will ensure that water filters through and the roots get adequate air. Next, add the potting soil.
Leave 2 to 4 inches at the top of the pot for wood chips or another type of organic mulch. The roots of magnolias grow close to the soil surface and adding a layer of mulch is important to retain moisture.
If the magnolia outgrows its pot, it’s time to repot it to a larger pot one size up. Repot the tree in the spring when it has just broken its dormancy.
Overwintering
Even if the magnolia variety is hardy in your climate, a potted plant needs winterizing, as the roots lack the insulation they have in garden soil. To protect the roots from freezing temperatures, move the container to an unheated garage or shed. Alternatively, build an insulating silo around the potted plant and fill it with leaf litter, straw, or wood chips.
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Do magnolias do well in pots?
Magnolia varieties that are small and compact (dwarf magnolias) do well in pots, provided that their other growing requirements (full sun, well-drained acidic soil., hardiness) are met.
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Can I grow a magnolia tree indoors?
Besides the space issue (even dwarf magnolias grow 10 feet tall or more), the conditions in your home , first and foremost the lack of natural sunlight, are not suitable to growing a magnolia tree. Even if it survives, it may never bloom indoors.
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Do magnolia trees stay small?
Magnolia trees are moderate growers that add 1 to 1.5 feet per year but over time, standard magnolias become quite large, up to 80 feet tall. Dwarf varieties stay small, ranging in size from 12 to 20 feet tall and 8 to 12 feet wide.