Saucer Magnolia
“What is the tree blooming all over town with the beautiful pink flowers?”
That would be the Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana). This is the showiest of magnolias, with magnificent blooms that are a blend of pink, white, and burgundy. This is a deciduous magnolia, meaning that the leaves fall during the winter. The flowers appear before the leaves fully develop, usually in March in our area. The leaves are dark green, turning yellow in autumn.
Considered a small, ornamental tree, it grows from 15′ – 20′ tall. The growth is upright when young, but as the tree gets older, it will become more horizontal.
These trees do best in full sun, in average, well-drained soil.
Magnolia x soulangeana is named after French soldier Etienne Soulange-Bodin, who hybridized the tree in 1820.
