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Help with my magnolia

Hello all,

I bought a stella magnolia tree about 5 years ago now and planted it in my front garden hoping to get flowers not long after. Sadly, I have never (and I mean NEVER) had one flower on the tree despite getting buds on it every year. Not knowing much about the plant, I don't know if there's anything that I need to do that might help, but so far I am gutted to have never had a flower.

As a mentioned already, I get buds, it grows well (it's now about 8 feet tall! - maybe that's the problem?), and then catkins appear but no flowers.

Does anyone have any advise? I'm at a loss - I really am.

A very gutted Sarah

Posts

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,905

    Hi Sarah. Magnolia stellata doesn't have catkins so I think you may have another tree. Any chance you can post a picture so that we can identify the plant?

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • imageimage

    As requested I have posted a couple of photos of the tree. I hope they are helpful.

    Someone else has mentioned that it might not be a magnolia tree, but if that's the case then the label on it was wrong when I bought it.... :-(

  • BusylizBusyliz Posts: 149

    Sarah

    I think you've been misled about it being a magnolia. I had exactly the same problem with a Stellata bought at Lidl.  It grew and grew for about 5 years, not a flower in sight, just leaf and catkins all over the place.  In the end, I got so fed up with not seeing any flowers that I yanked it out and planted a M Susan instead.  This year, after only 2 years Susan has produced a fab crop of flowers - a true magnolia. I'd be tempted to dig it out and start again.

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,905

    Hi again Sarah (and BusyLiz if she reads this). I suspect that what may have happened is this. Some magnolia Stellata are actually grafted trees. The root stock use for the graft is usually a vigorous type and in your cases I think that the vigorous graft has taken over from the Stellata and produced all the leafy growth. Sarah, I would be tempted to take Busyliz's remedy (a hefty job I know) and go for a Stellata in the Spring when you can actually see it in flower. I got mine this year just like that and its been lovely.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
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