Magnolia 'COLUMNAR PINK'

Columnar Pink is an admirable magnolia variety selected by famous English gardener Maurice Foster. His 15-acre large garden is located near Sevenoaks in Kent, U.K., a place about 500 meters above sea level which is sometimes called Kentish Alps since the rest of this south-eastern English county is only about 100 ft above sea. From late April produces mid-sized, tulip-shaped, soft pink, and very fragrant flowers on bare wood. Deciduous leaves are ovate to obovate, medium green.

Magnolias are not supposed to be pruned. You can prune old shrubs if ill, or trim them to shape or to reduce size, or make an elementary cut to young plants of unsightly or unhealthy appearance. Do this as soon as possible after flowering to secure setting of flower buds for the following year. Be aware that each magnolia can respond differently to pruning.

Deciduous magnolias are quite easy plants. All they need is light, well-drained, acidic soil with equal moisture throughout the year. Once established they can do with occasional drought but will not look as nice as the ones with regular watering. Just pay attention to how you plant your magnolia. First, find it a spot where it will live forever and ever. It does not like transplanting. And as it makes shallow roots reaching well over its spread, stay away from disturbing the roots by digging or messing about around it. Just cover the soil with bark mulch and do not plant anything else near it after say the second year after planting onwards. You could damage the important top roots that absorb maximum moisture and nutrients from the soil. Also avoid planting magnolia too deep. Thus, you could be digging it a grave. Hardy is min. -29 °C (USDA zone 5) and perhaps yet a little lower.

Last update 08-12-2020