This allows for a large shade garden beneath it. Since it is a long- lived tree, think carefully before you decide where to plant it as it needs space for its branches, which cast a lot of shade when it matures. The genus name honors Pierre Magnol, a French botanist (1638-1715).
There is actually a large number of more modern hybrid cultivars now available and some produce flowers in other shades such as white, rose, magenta, burgundy, and purple. I think ‘Spectrum’ and ‘Galaxy’ bloom a little later also, which provides more reliable bloom. I am told there is a hybrid called ‘Forrest's Pink’ that will make new buds if the old ones are ruined. However, about one in three years the late spring frosts ruin the bloom and the flowers turn brown. It blooms before it leafs out, and the pale pink blossoms look striking against the rough grey bark. It usually develops a number of trunks and may over time even grow 30 feet tall and as wide. Hardy in zones 4-9, it may be a shrub but usually is a tree about 20-25 feet tall with a rounded crown. The most commonly grown deciduous magnolia in the Lower Midwest is Magnolia x soulangiana, usually referred to as the saucer magnolia.
