How to Grow and Care for Cucumber Magnolia

Magnolia acuminata

When the primary true flower bloomed, some 140 million years in the past, scientists counsel it seemed a bit like that of the cucumber magnolia (Magnolia acuminata).

This complete genus of luxurious bushes has been round since dinosaurs roamed the Earth and ferns dominated the botanical roost.

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Encountering one in all these hulking remnants of the previous feels a bit like stepping by way of a time portal.

It’s particularly unusual if you discover one rising subsequent to the oaks and ashes typical of forests in northeastern America right now.

The cucumber magnolia, also called the cucumber tree or cucumbertree, has a comparatively broad vary throughout jap North America, spanning from southern Canada to Georgia.

It’s primarily concentrated and grows largest within the Appalachians.

Learn on to search out out extra about rising this spectacular native tree. Right here’s what I’ll cowl:

The frequent title of this imposing tree comes from its knobbly, two- to three-inch-long fruits that are formed considerably like a cucumber.

Finally turning reddish pink and splitting open to disclose shiny, orange seeds, the fruits are nearly as engaging because the flowers.

The flowers of cucumber magnolia emerge in late spring and the pale, creamy white or yellow petals span as much as 4 inches in diameter.

Barely fragrant, the flowers are pollinated by beetles and are receptive for under a brief time period.

The fruit is loved by quite a lot of wildlife, together with grackles, blue jays and squirrels. Consequently, cucumber magnolia seedlings are fairly exhausting to search out of their pure habitat.

Hardy in Zones 4 to 9, cucumber magnolia will be grown in all kinds of climatic zones.

Organically-rich, nicely drained, moist, deep soils are the popular substrate for cucumber magnolia, although it might probably develop in sandy loams, clay soils, and coarse textured loams so long as moisture is pretty constant.

Historically, tea made out of the bark of those bushes was used to deal with the whole lot from congestion, toothaches, constipation, and malaria.

Early settlers steeped the fruits in whiskey to impart a barely fruity taste to their beverage.

The contributions of M. acuminata to horticulture have been excellent.

Methods to Develop

One of many few magnolias that can be utilized as a shade tree, M. acuminata is an excellent selection for a park setting or a protracted, rolling garden.

The massive flowers and brilliant fruits will appeal to quite a lot of wildlife.

In the event you lack the area to develop this species out within the open, it’s a beautiful, usually missed selection for a woodland setting or wildlife backyard.

Suited to each full solar and half shade it may be tucked right into a nook of the backyard with respectable, however not perpetual, solar and nonetheless placed on a satisfying show.

Soil

The optimum spot for M. acuminata can have deep, unfastened, wealthy loam that’s additionally well-draining.

Mild

In full solar, the pyramidal crown of leaves will actually department out. Better of all, within the spring, every department shall be stuffed with pale, creamy blossoms.

Cucumber magnolia is a forest tree and supplied it isn’t overshadowed as a sapling, it might probably and can develop on the sting of a woodland or in {a partially} shaded yard.

Safety

Like most magnolias, this species has comparatively weak wooden that’s inclined to interrupt in excessive winds.

Take into account this if you select a planting web site and ensure it’s someplace with an honest quantity of safety from any storms that will blow your means.

Water

Be certain that to water nicely throughout any dry spells. Though this species is thought for its intensive root system, it has reasonably excessive water wants and can undergo with out common rainfall or irrigation.

Pruning

You don’t have to prune your cucumber magnolia. Be happy to take out lifeless wooden or any branches that will break, however past that, magnolias actually choose to be left alone.

Cultivars to Choose

It’s comparatively uncommon to search out this tree at your run of the mill nursery, however backyard facilities specializing in natives ought to carry it.

Cucumber Magnolia

You will discover the species plant obtainable from Nature Hills Nursery.

There are quite a few, jaw droppingly lovely cultivars and hybrids as nicely. Some are wildly standard and broadly obtainable, others much less so.

Many cultivars have flowers that seem earlier than the leaves. This makes their flowers vulnerable to frost.

In the event you stay in a northern or excessive elevation area, I extremely advocate buying the straight species, or a cultivar that has late rising flowers, to keep away from springtime disappointment.

Elizabeth

‘Elizabeth’ grows as much as 50 ft excessive and 35 ft extensive. Boasting lovely pale yellow flowers that emerge simply as its leaves are unfurling, this cultivar is hardy in Zones 4 to eight.

‘Elizabeth’

You will discover ‘Elizabeth’ crops obtainable at Nature Hills Nursery.

Butterflies

‘Butterflies’ is a hybrid that grows as much as 20 ft tall and 18 ft extensive. Deep yellow flowers seem in spring earlier than the leaves emerge.

‘Butterflies’

This one is hardy in Zones 5 to 7 and you could find crops obtainable at Quick Rising Timber.

Goldfinch

A really extensive, rotund tree, ‘Goldfinch’ boasts essentially the most lovely, creamy yellow flowers that emerge earlier than the leaves.

Hardy in USDA Zones 4 to eight, this cultivar grows 40 ft excessive and 40 ft extensive.

Yellow Hen

‘Yellow Hen’ blooms a bit later than some cultivars available on the market.

It’s hardy in Zones 4 to eight, produces plentiful, pale yellow, upright flowers, and grows to 40 ft excessive and 25 ft extensive.

Propagation

M. acuminata will be grown from seed, stem cuttings, or planted as a sapling.

Though they’re a bit finicky as seedlings and younger bushes, as soon as established, they’re a low upkeep addition to the panorama. 

From Seed

Beginning M. acuminata from seed shouldn’t be significantly straightforward. For that motive, you could battle to search out seed on the market.

In the event you see a specimen at a botanical backyard, a neighbor’s home or, better of all, out within the woods, you may definitely acquire a handful of your personal seed and provides it a go.

They’re often prepared for assortment across the finish of August. The intense orange seeds dangle from slender filaments after they slip from their protecting coating.

Whenever you see the seeds swinging within the wind, you’ll know they’re prepared to reap.

Whenever you’ve collected your seed, transfer shortly as these seeds don’t retailer nicely and in the event that they dry out, they will not be viable.

The seed then wants a interval of cold-stratification. This may be achieved by setting the seeds in moist sphagnum moss within the fridge for 3 months.

Within the spring, put together a number of four-inch pots stuffed with moisture-retentive, wealthy potting soil. Sow two seeds per pot, to account for doubtlessly poor germination, about an inch deep.

Cowl with a bit pine or pure wooden mulch and begin the countdown. Germination can take as much as 60 days.

Germination requires spring-like situations, with temperatures fluctuating between 60 to 80F, and many brilliant, oblique mild.

Don’t disturb your containers because the seedlings start to emerge, and maintain the soil moist, however not soaking moist.

When your seedlings attain a number of inches tall you may transfer them into an acceptable, ready location within the backyard.

Not like some magnolias, this species transplants nicely and grows roots quickly.

You possibly can study extra about beginning magnolias from seed right here.

From Cuttings

M. acuminata will also be grown from softwood cuttings taken in the summertime.

Put together a number of deep pots, filling with a combination of equal elements peat, potting soil, and sand. Be certain that the substrate is moist all through, however not soaking.

Use a pointy pair of pruners to chop a six-inch size from the rising tip of a wholesome department.

Attempt to choose a straight piece and ensure it’s versatile softwood of present yr’s development. Take away the leaves on the decrease half of the reducing.

Utilizing a pencil or stick, poke holes into the soil of your ready pots. Dip the underside two inches of the cuttings in rooting hormone.

Preserve the soil evenly moist and don’t permit it to dry out. Rooting ought to occur in about six to eight weeks. By summer season’s finish, they are going to be prepared for transplanting.

Transplanting

Magnolia saplings usually choose to be transplanted within the spring, not fall.

Amend your soil with some well-rotted compost and dig a gap deep sufficient in order that the foundation ball is even with the extent of soil.

Strive to not disturb the roots an excessive amount of if you take away the plant from its pot.

Set your tree within the gap and backfill with soil, then water in nicely.

Managing Pests and Illness

M. acuminata is fairly robust and isn’t usually affected by pests or illness. Burdened specimens could also be extra vulnerable.

There are just a few points to maintain an eye fixed out for:

Herbivores

Deer will often browse the foliage of younger cucumber bushes, though it’s not one in all their favorites.

Shield younger bushes inside a cage of hen wire to maintain these ungulates away.

Bugs

As a local North American tree, there are a glut of bugs that depend on cucumber magnolia for nectar and pollen.

Comparatively few really trigger issues. Preserve your eyes peeled for these ones:

Aphids

These well-known pests are sapsuckers that trigger quite a lot of issues in cucumber magnolias together with curling leaves, untimely leaf drop, and stunted development.

To learn extra about this frequent backyard pest take a look at our information to controlling aphids.

Magnolia Scale

Among the many largest smooth scale bugs in North America, magnolia scale (Neolecanium cornuparvum) can develop as much as half an inch lengthy.

They’re blob-shaped, pale coloured, smooth, puffy, and will be discovered alongside younger twigs and branches.

The tiny crawlers, or younger, hatch in July and August and appear like little darkish dots that may creep and crawl throughout your unsuspecting magnolia’s bark.

Magnolia scale feeds totally on smooth development. On affected branches you could discover twig dieback, curling foliage, decreased flower manufacturing, and untimely leaf drop.

Early intervention will assist handle scale infestations earlier than they vary uncontrolled.

Examine your bushes commonly throughout the rising season, intently analyzing smooth new tissue similar to buds and softwood and scrape off the bugs with a rag dipped in soapy water.

Our information to coping with scale has extra data.

Yellow Poplar Weevil

Often known as magnolia weevils, Odontopus calceatus are little black beetles about an eighth of an inch lengthy.

Each the adults and their larvae feed on the foliage of magnolia bushes, inflicting tiny rice formed blotches on the leaves.

Often, heavy feeding will induce a untimely leaf drop in July.

These pests very not often have an effect on the long run well being of M. acuminata.

Illness

There are few illnesses that may have an effect on this tenacious magnolia. Listed here are a number of to pay attention to:

Canker

A standard illness affecting many bushes, canker is a fungal an infection that’s usually solely problematic on cucumber magnolia in moist websites.

The fungus (Nectria galligena) causes sunken areas on the bark and branches and might finally develop to severely impede water and nutrient transport throughout the tree.

You could discover the fruiting our bodies of N. galligena producing spores on the web site of a wound, or on the cankers themselves. They are usually extremely seen colours, like orange or purple.

Sadly, there’s no remedy for Nectria canker. To sluggish the unfold of the an infection, take away broken twigs about 4 to 6 inches beneath the canker utilizing pruners cleaned with rubbing alcohol.

As with all illnesses, the easiest way to handle cankers is with good preventative care. Develop your tree in optimum situations so it’s wholesome and powerful.

Belle of the Forest

Usually handed over for its higher identified, showier cousins, cucumber tree excels in loads of methods: it’s largely pest and illness resistant, it thrives in woodland or backyard settings, and makes a wonderful shade tree.

In addition to, although the flowers will not be pink, purple, or as ostentatious as among the different magnolias, cucumber tree is reliably coated in blossoms come spring. What could possibly be higher than that?

Have you ever ever seen cucumber magnolia rising within the wild? The place did you see it? Have you ever tried rising this species in your panorama? Please inform us about your experiences within the feedback part beneath!

And to study extra about different kinds of magnolia, take a look at these guides subsequent:

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