When to plant and prune Star Magnolia
Magnolia stellata
Never prune it in late winter or early spring: the cuts bleed sap badly. Prune only between mid-summer and early autumn, cutting back to a natural fork, and keep it light, since hard pruning stops it flowering.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Pruning is driven by dormancy rather than frost, so it is not shifted by region — the same cut is right in Inverness and in Penzance. Planting windows do move.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early October to late December | mid March to mid April | early July to late September |
| South Coast and Channel | early October to late December | mid March to mid April | early July to late September |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early October to late December | mid March to mid April | early July to late September |
| South East and Home Counties | early October to late December | mid March to mid April | early July to late September |
| East Anglia | early October to late December | mid March to mid April | early July to late September |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early October to late December | mid March to mid April | early July to late September |
| Wales and West Coast | early October to late December | mid March to mid April | early July to late September |
| Northern England | early October to late December | mid March to mid April | early July to late September |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early October to late December | mid March to mid April | early July to late September |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early October to late December | mid March to mid April | early July to late September |
| Northern Ireland | early October to late December | mid March to mid April | early July to late September |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early October to late December | mid March to mid April | early July to late September |
How to prune it
Prune deciduous magnolias only between mid-summer and early autumn, and only lightly.
Severity: light.
Feeding
Scatter a general fertiliser around the base in late winter for the first few years after planting; established plants rarely need it.
At a glance
- Type
- Tree
- Hardiness
- H6
- Eventual height
- 2.5 m
- Eventual spread
- 3.0 m
- Years to maturity
- 15
- Spacing
- 250 cm
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil
- Moist but well-drained, humus-rich soil; copes with mildly alkaline ground
- Evergreen
- No
- Fragrance
- Scented
- Pollinator value
- 2 out of 5
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 70 litres or more
- Difficulty
- Medium
Soil pH
Prefers slightly acid to neutral soil; tolerates alkaline soil better than most magnolias but yellows on very chalky ground.
Winter protection
In a frost pocket expect some years when the open flowers are browned by frost; a sheltered spot out of early-morning sun helps.
Growing notes
Slow, bushy and wider than it is tall, so allow about 3m of width rather than treating it as a narrow tree. Shelter it from cold winds and avoid the coldest frost pockets, as the March flowers are the whole point and are easily browned.
What usually goes wrong
- frost-browned flowers in cold springs
- yellowing leaves on very alkaline soil
- few flowers for the first few years after planting
- leaf browning in drought
Related guides
Cross-checked against RHS guidance.