Woody flowers

Author: Yang Ruixing et al. / Country:
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Publishing Time: 2000-07-01
Features: How to cultivate magnolia? 47 Magnolia, also known as yulan, yu tree, spring flower, hope spring, white magnolia, wood flower tree, and yutangchun, belongs to the Magnoliaceae family and is a deciduous tree. It can grow up to 15 meters tall, with an oval or near-spherical crown. Young branches and buds are hairy, and leaves are oblong-elliptical, with hairy undersides when young. The flowers are large and pure white, blooming before the leaves appear. Native to the mountains of central China, it is now widely cultivated in gardens both domestically and internationally. It thrives in warm and humid environments with partial shade, tolerating some shade but preferring full sun for mature trees, as shade overhead can lead to sparse flowering. It grows best in acidic, humus-rich, well-drained soil and can also be grown in slightly saline-alkaline soil. It prefers fertilization, especially nitrogen fertilizer. Magnolia is suitable for warm and humid environments but has some cold tolerance, capable of withstanding temporary cold snaps as low as -20°C. Propagation methods include seed sowing, grafting, cuttings, and tissue culture. For seed sowing, it is essential to harvest the seeds at the right time. In late September, when the capsule fruits turn red and split, the seeds should be collected, the outer seed coat cleaned, and the seeds dried indoors (avoid direct sunlight). Then, they should be stratified and stored in a cool place. Field sowing should be timed appropriately, or seeds can be germinated indoors to produce small seedlings before being transplanted to the field to grow into seedlings. Cuttings are best done in spring but have low survival rates. Grafting is recommended in early August, using square bud grafting, cut grafting, or inarching. Alternatively, low-growing mother plants can be cultivated first, followed by layering propagation. Magnolia has a complete root system with shallow main roots and well-developed lateral roots. The roots are fleshy, and healing after damage takes a long time. Generally, it is best to transplant before flowering or just after flowering when leaves begin to emerge, or in mid-autumn for late-season transplanting, as delayed transplanting can slow wound healing. Transplanting should be done with a soil ball and with appropriate pruning or leaf removal. Fertilizer should be applied at planting, followed by additional fertilization before and after flowering. For acidic soil, extra phosphorus fertilizer is recommended. Due to weak callus formation and slow growth, pruning is not advisable. If necessary to maintain a perfect shape, branches should be thinned or shortened after flowering when buds begin to appear, avoiding pruning in early spring before flowering or after autumn leaf fall, as this can leave dead stumps and damage the tree's crown. Summer is the growing season for magnolia, so soil moisture should be monitored, kept moist, and excess water drained during the rainy season. Magnolia is a large, beautiful-flowering tree, a valuable ornamental in gardens, and has been planted in courtyards since the Tang Dynasty. In classical gardens, it was often planted in front of halls and courtyards, known as the "Magnolia Hall." Today, it is widely cultivated and highly prized in modern gardens.
How to cultivate saucer magnolia? Saucer magnolia (Figure 9), also known as tree peony magnolia, small-flowered magnolia, fragrant magnolia, white lotus, and Menglan magnolia, belongs to the Magnoliaceae family and is a deciduous small tree. It can grow up to 10 meters tall. The branches are slender and hairless, while young branches and buds are hairy. The leaves are broadly elliptical or oblong-elliptical, green on the upper surface and whitish on the underside. The flowers have long stems, solitary at the tips of branches, blooming before the leaves, white and cup-shaped with a fragrant aroma. The aggregate fruits are red, ripening in September, with the flowering period from May to June. It is distributed in Liaoning, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and northern Guangxi, as well as in Korea and Japan. It prefers a cool and humid climate, requiring fertile and moist soil with strong cold tolerance. Propagation methods include seed sowing, cuttings, grafting, and division. Seed sowing: Saucer magnolia seeds have a hard coat and dormant embryos. Cold stratification does not promote after-ripening, so alternating temperature stratification is required. Temperatures of 10–25°C for about two weeks are needed to break dormancy and germinate. In northern China, seeds are sown outdoors from late March to early April, covered with a tunnel. Seedlings prefer dense planting, so the density should be increased. Young seedlings grow slowly and are not adapted to strong summer sunlight, so shading and watering are necessary to prevent growth stagnation and yellowing leaves. Duringling growth, fertilization and watering should be increased. Winter protection is needed for seedlings, and seedlings can be transplanted only after three years. Transplanting is done in spring with a soil ball to ensure survival. After survival, water management should be strengthened to keep the soil moist. Pruning should not be frequent, only diseased, weak, and pest-infested branches should be removed, allowing the tree to grow naturally. Saucer magnolia has long flower stalks, and its flowers sway in the wind with a strong fragrance. The tree has an elegant shape and lush foliage, making it an excellent species for greening parks and green spaces. It can be planted in clusters or on slopes, creating a beautiful scene with flowers before leaves fall. It is also a good species for garden greening.
How to cultivate southern magnolia (Figure 10)? Southern magnolia, also known as (lotus magnolia), (foreign magnolia), and (large-flowered magnolia), belongs to the Magnoliaceae family and is an evergreen tree. The leaves are thick and leathery, elliptical or oblong-elliptical, dark green and glossy on the upper surface, with dense rusty-red hairs on the underside. The flowers are solitary at the tips of branches, white and lotus-shaped with a fragrant aroma. The seeds are red, with capsule fruits splitting to reveal them. Native to the southeastern United States, it is widely cultivated in the Yangtze and Pearl River basins in China. It is a sun-loving tree, tolerating partial shade during the seedling stage and preferring warm and humid climates but also tolerating cold, suitable for open planting in areas with favorable microclimates in Beijing and Tianjin. It thrives in fertile, moist, well-drained acidic or neutral soil, and can also grow in slightly saline-alkaline soil. It is a deep-rooted tree with strong wind resistance. Propagation methods include seed sowing and grafting. For seed sowing, seeds are collected in autumn and sown immediately, or stratified and sown the following spring. Planting should be dense, with seedlings transplanted to the field the following year for further cultivation, taking about four years to reach transplanting age. Grafting can use white magnolia or purple magnolia as rootstock, typically done by branch grafting in spring. Transplanting is best done in spring, and seedlings must be transplanted with a soil ball to improve survival rates. The natural shape of this species is elliptical-ovate and very attractive. It has low branching and budding ability and does not tolerate pruning, so pruning should be done with caution to avoid removing branches that affect the tree's shape. During the young tree stage, side buds around the main branches can be removed to encourage the main branches to grow well. Purple magnolia is a fertilizer-loving species, requiring organic fertilizer before flowering in spring and deep soil turning with well-rotted manure in autumn. It has few pests and diseases. The tree has a dense crown, large glossy leaves, and large fragrant flowers, making it a valuable species in gardens. It can be used as a street tree, planted in clusters in public green spaces, or used to adorn lawns and courtyards.
How to cultivate Michelia fig? Michelia belongs to the Magnoliaceae family and the Michelia genus, an evergreen shrub that can grow up to 3–5 meters tall. It is a famous aromatic flowering plant. It prefers partial shade, tolerates neither drought nor strong sunlight, as these can cause yellowing leaves, and thrives in warm and humid climates with acidic soil, tolerating little alkaline soil with some cold resistance. When potting Michelia, the placement location should be noted. It is best placed in a sunny spot, but if placed outdoors, it should be shaded appropriately. When displayed indoors, it can be placed on an east-facing windowsill or balcony, with good air circulation maintained. Michelia has fleshy roots, so watering should not be excessive, especially avoiding waterlogged pots, as this can cause root rot, particularly during rainy weather. Fertilizer should be well-rotted and supplemented with phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Before new buds emerge, base fertilizer should be applied. Two to three times of thin fertilizer should be given before or after flower bud formation and after flowering to promote more flower buds and lush branches and leaves. Generally, Michelia in pots does not require pruning, but diseased, dead, and aging branches can be removed before spring bud emergence to encourage new growth. During the growth period, pruning is usually unnecessary unless the plant is too tall and needs to be reduced or unless elongated branches need to be removed. Potting should be done every three years, and during repotting, some old roots can be pruned, and base fertilizer can be applied.