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Magnolia Butterflies

Magnolia (mag-NOL-ee-ah)

Family: Magnoliaceae Unknown Understory (15-40 ft)

'Butterflies' is a deciduous hybrid cultivar Magnoliaceae (magnolia) family. It is a cross between M. acuminata 'Fertile Myrtle' and M. denudata ' Sawada's Cream' . Its claim to fame is its large, non-fading, canary yellow flowers, which some refer to as delicate. Up to 5" across, the tulip shaped flowers will cover the tree and emit the scent of lemon oil. The bloom period is approximately one week. The leaves unfurl after the flowers have completed their bloom period, can be up to 8" long and make a showy display in your garden, however, its fall foliage does not add any color to the landscape. Although this tree can be planted in soil containing, clay, loam. and sand, its preferred site is one that has high organic matter. Sites that have wet or poor drainage will result in poor performance. Choose your planting site carefully, once planted, this trees fleshy root system does not do well when disturbed. Also choose a site with protection from strong winds and southern exposure, that can bring on premature blooming. Pruning or removing dead or dying branches should be done in the spring after its flowering has completed. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Disease issues include leaf spot, powdery mildew, canker, dieback and anthracnose. Insects that affect this tree include thrips, weevils, snails, and scale. Protect from cold, dry winds, as they can damage the early spring buds and flowers. Late frost can also cause damage. More information on Magnolia .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 54 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 2 - Understory (15-40 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

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.

Fills a similar niche Buddleja 'Miss Violet' Chilopsis linearis Sinojackia rehderiana

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial; Tree
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet; 3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in. | Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Pyramidal
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Oblong
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Large dark green leaves will emerge after the tepals have fallen. The leaves have a main vein and a round, elongated body and are pointed at its tips.
Fall color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Large 4-5" tulip shaped flowers bloom in late winter to early spring. The aroma of lemon oil is emitted when in bloom,.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Fruit detail
As the flowers are not typically visited by pollinators, this tree rarely produces fruits.
Stem detail
'Butterflies' can be grown as a single trunked tree, or a multi-stemmed shrub.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Originated by Philip Savage, in Blooming Hills, MI
Wildlife value
Some birds and butterflies may be attracted to the flowers.
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Buffer; Fragrance; Screening; Shade
Food & Medicine

Uses (ethnobotany)

Can be used as a tree or a shrub.

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Patio
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Cutting Garden
Design feature
Accent; Border; Flowering Tree; Hedge; Mass Planting; Screen/Privacy; Shade Tree; Small Tree; Specimen
Garden tags
#deciduous tree #deciduous #flowering tree #heat tolerant #showy leaves #showy #showy flowers #air pollution tolerant #cold tolerant #hedge #fragrant flowers #cutting garden #shrub #compact #wet soils intolerant #spring flowers #tree
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Yellow Poplar Weevil; Magnolia Scale
Disease problems
Sooty Molds
Resistant to
Heat

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.