Zen magnolia is a deciduous small tree in the Magnoliaceae (magnoila) family. It is native to the forests of China but has become rare in its native habitat. It has upright growth reaching 15 to 25 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide in full sun and moist well-drained soils. This specimen is the earliest flowering magnolia with relatively small but very fragrant blooms appearing in the mid-to-late winter from February to March. Dark green leaves are pale green on the underside, and winter buds are covered with silky hairs. Late winter frosts can damage the flower buds. In spring, fragrant 4 inch blooms open to whit with a purplish-ping strip on the underside. The large green leaves appear after blooming. Use this petite tree as a specimen for a patio or courtyard planting. It is at home in a lawn planting or as a part of an Asian themed garden. Its winter flowers and beautiful bark make it a good choice to add interest in a winter garden. More information on Magnolia .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12-24 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in. | Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Conical; Erect; Pyramidal
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Glossy; Leathery
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Up to 8-inch long elliptical dark green leaves with entire margins are pale green on the underside with curly hairs along the veins and midrib. Yellow-brown fall color.
Fall color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Terminal pink buds open white with the undersurface of the nine tepals marked with a band of purple-pink along the midrib of each tepal. Up to 4 inches wide and fragrant. Blooms Febuary to March and appear before leaves.
Bloom time
Spring; Winter
Fruit color
Red/Burgundy
Fruit size
1-3 inches long
Bark color
Light Gray
Bark detail
Smooth gray bark
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver; Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Purple brown to gray with lenticles, very hairy buds
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
China
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Patio; Small Space
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Winter Garden
Design feature
Flowering Tree; Small Tree; Specimen
Garden tags
#deciduous #flowering tree #large flowers #showy flowers #specimen #white flowers #small tree #fragrant flowers #full sun tolerant #winter interest #winter flowers