Many a passionate gardener would like to have a magnificent magnolia in their possession. But what if the garden is small or you only have a balcony? In this case, you can use rather small magnolia varieties.
Star magnolias remain comparatively small
Magnolia is not just magnolia, because some species grow more like a tree and reach heights of six meters and more - and with age they become almost as wide. In particular, the popular Tulip Magnolia grows very tall, as does the Kobus Magnolia and some varieties of Purple Magnolia. At the same time, however, magnolias grow very slowly, so that such heights can probably only be expected in 15 to 20 years with a newly purchased young plant. An exception, however, are the always very small star magnolias (Magnolia stellata), which, depending on the variety, reach maximum heights of between 1.5 and 3 meters. This species is therefore also suitable for keeping in buckets.
Small magnolia varieties
In the following overview you will find some of the most beautiful and popular small magnolia varieties. Some magnolias (especially the tulip magnolias) still reach heights of four to five meters, but still appear in this table due to their comparatively narrow to columnar growth. They are also more suitable for small gardens.
| variety | kind | average height | flower color |
|---|---|---|---|
| burgundy | Tulip Magnolia | between three and five meters | lavender |
| Burgundy Star | Purple Magnolia | up to four meters | violet |
| Caerhay's Surprise | Purple Magnolia x Magnolia.campbellii | up to five meters | pink |
| centennial | star magnolia | up to about three meters | White |
| Pickard's Garnet | Tulip Magnolia | up to about four meters | purple |
| Satisfaction | Tulip Magnolia | up to about two meters | pink or white |
| sunshine | Hybrid | up to three meters | yellow |
| lan's Red | hybrid | up to five meters | purple |
| Darkest Purple | Purple Magnolia | up to 2.5 meters | dark purple |
| genius | Tulip Magnolia | up to about five meters | violet-red |
| George Henry Kern | star magnolia | up to about three meters | pink-white |
| Maxine Merrill | Hybrid | up to about five meters | yellow |
| sun child | Hybrid | up to approx. 2.5 meters | yellow |
tips and tricks
With regard to the expected size, however, this is particularly important for grafted magnolias and new breeds. The grafting usually takes place on the very large Kobus magnolia, which is why the actual height for the grafting cannot be predicted. Due to the lack of experience, this also applies to the new breeds of magnolias, whereby you can use the parent varieties as a guide.