Description
This lovely rare Eastern North American magnolia makes its home in the Appalachian mountains and the Ozarks. Huge 20cm single creamy white fragrant flowers are borne on branch tips. Fast growing in the right spot. Smaller stature as it never exceeds 10 meters. Large exotic leaves are arranged in whorls at the terminal ends of branches and twig tips giving its name Umbrella Magnolia. Closely related to Magnolia fraseri. M. tripetala leaves taper smoothly to the stems, unlike the ‘ear lobes’ of M. fraseri and M. ashei. Though its leaves are smaller than its fore-mentioned cousins, they are still large and its best to seat where high winds don’t damage them.
- Seed Count: 12-15
- Collection Date: Oct 2024
- Hardiness Zone: 5-10
- Height and Width: 8m x 5m.
- Germination test type: float; cut
- Family: Magnoliaceae
How to germinate Magnolia tripetala seeds:
Stratifying seed. Never let magnolia seed dry out as this kills the embryo. Sow immediately 2 cm deep, keep moist, keep the pot outside to finish the cold stratification cycle of 120 days. Sunlight inhibits germination. Most seed will germinate in May with the remaining the following May. Newly emerging seedlings need indirect light/dappled shade at first then stronger light as they put down a larger root system. Protect from nibbling pests two years. If you baggie sow these provide room temps with no supplemental warmth as they don’t seem to tolerate this. Once you see them crack open, transplant into a pot 15 mm deep as they don’t like being in the bag at this stage for too long and mortality can be high.
