Little Gem Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’)

If you’re a Southern magnolia tree fan but have a small yard, then the little gem magnolia tree is for you. Magnolia grandiflora, ‘Little gem,’ is a dwarf variety that is much smaller, growing only up to 20 feet tall but bearing the exact beauty of glossy foliage and creamy, tan flowers. These little gems are the perfect addition to a landscape, whether as a hedge border to serve as a privacy screen or as a lone accent small tree in small yards. Keep reading to know more about the little gem magnolia tree.

I. Appearance and Characteristics

Apart from being smaller, the Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little gem’ is a slower grower than the original Southern magnolia tree. It’s also an evergreen tree or a multi-stemmed shrub that’s dense, compact, and upright.

The blooms arrive early, about two to three years after planting. Each flower is about 4 to 6 inches in diameter with six petals in white or cream color. These flowers are very showy and fragrant, making the whole little gem tree a real gem in your garden.

The blooming season begins in mid-spring and lasts through summer.

Its foliage is equally appealing, boasting a dark green, glossy surface and copper brown underneath. Each leaf has a simple leaf margin and is about 3 to 6 inches long with an elliptical shape.

Not only is little gem an attraction to humans, but it also invites birds and other wildlife to come and visit. This species is deer-resistant, so there is no need to worry if some deer occasionally visit you. If you don’t have enough space, you can plant this dwarf variety indoors in a container.

It has a slow growth rate so that it won’t bother you much.

II. How to Grow and Care

Sunlight

Little gem magnolia performs best with six or more hours of sunlight daily. Morning light is ideal with partial shade, two to six hours, in the afternoon.

Temperature and Humidity

This small tree is hardy down to about 5°F and is fairly heat tolerant. Some protection from hot afternoons prevents foliage from scorching and discoloration.

Watering

Little gem magnolia handles wet conditions better than many magnolia varieties and needs moist soil when newly planted.

Water deeply once or twice weekly after transplanting. The tree develops some drought tolerance at maturity and should only need to be irrigated once a week during summer months.

Mulching helps preserve soil moisture and discourage weeds. Little gem magnolia is also tolerant of salt but does not do well in urban conditions with heavy air pollution. Pot-grown trees may need to be watered daily during the hottest days of summer.

Soil

Although the tree is adaptable to soil type, a slightly acidic pH of 5.5 to 6.5 is important and the planting location must drain well. Organically rich, loamy soil is ideal so consider working in aged compost at planting time.

Fertilizing

It’s best to fertilize your magnolias with a slow-release fertilizer with a balanced formulation of 10-10-10 or 8-8-8. Apply this during the Spring season to help boost the tree’s growth and produce new foliage.

Pruning

You can prune your little gem magnolia tree in late summer after the flowers have faded. Keep pruning down to a minimum, prioritizing the dead and diseased branches. It would be best to allow the lower branches to reach the ground and prune the upper portion to achieve a triangular shape.

Propagation

Because little gem magnolia is a hybrid, the only way to propagate this tree is through cuttings. This is most successful in spring with softwood cuttings as the tree is putting out new growth. Gather together small pots with drainage holes, plastic coverings, a well-draining potting mix, and a small hand pruner. Follow these steps:

• Use the hand pruner to remove a 6 to 8-inch softwood cutting of new growth. Make your cut just above a leaf node.
• Remove all leaves except for the top one or two. If the remaining leaves are large, cut them in half horizontally and dispose of the top half.
• Dip the bottom portion of the cutting in rooting hormone, making sure to cover exposed leaf nodes.
• Fill pots with slightly moistened potting mixture. Use your finger or a pencil to make a narrow hole in the center.
• Insert the bottom portion of the cutting into the hole and gently fill in around it with potting mixture to keep it upright.
• Cover the pot with plastic. You may need to add supports to keep the plastic from touching the top of the cutting.
• Place pots in a warm location that receives plenty of indirect sunlight and keep soil moist.
• Roots form in several weeks. When they’ve grown several inches long and begun to develop a strong system, seedlings can be potted up into larger containers or moved into the garden,

Potting and Repotting

When started from cuttings, you’ll want to move your little gem magnolia seedlings into pots one or two sizes larger depending on how quickly they develop.

This is generally a slow-growing tree that takes about 20 years to grow 20 feet tall so moving your plant to a larger container should be necessary only every few years.

Overwintering

Little gem magnolia is hardy down to -5°F and should stay evergreen in USDA growing zones 6 to 10. If temperatures drop lower, cover your tree with a frost cover.

Mulch also protects roots from frost damage although the tree may lose some leaves. Move potted plants to a protected indoor location such as an unheated porch or garage when possible.

Pests and Diseases

Some pests that may cause problems in little gem magnolia trees include scale, tulip-poplar weevil, and magnolia borer. Scales and weevils attack the foliage, and infected leaves may look unsightly with heavy infestation. You can use horticultural oil to get rid of them.

But you better switch to chemical control if you have numerous infested trees.

Black mildew, blights, scabs, leaf spots, verticillium wilt, and cankers are some diseases that may occur in susceptible magnolia trees. Proper pruning and disposal of diseased leaves and branches will help manage the spread of these diseases.

III. Uses and Benefits

Best used as a lawn specimen or at the back of a border where space allows. Good for along large driveways. It can even be used as a topiary subject, hedge screen and is a useful street tree. If kept well fed and watered, it makes a great large scale container plant. It is easy to keep compact with regular pruning if required in a small space. It is commonly used in floristry for greenery.