Trees & woodland lore · Western North Carolina field companion
Saucer magnolia
Magnolia × soulangeana
Whole tree — Magnolia × soulangeana. Species reference; the photographed specimen does not confirm the named variety. Age, pruning, and site affect its shape.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeBagemet ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.
Problems to recognize in WNC gardens. These are documented susceptibilities, not a local outbreak report or a diagnosis. Weather, elevation and growing conditions change the risk.
Diseases & similar-looking injury
Leaf spots and occasional cankers may occur. Early-flowering magnolias can lose blooms to frost without having a disease.
Insects to recognize
Magnolia scale is a key insect to recognize: attached bumps on twigs, sticky honeydew and black sooty mold.
When to look
Check twigs and sticky foliage during the growing season; assess flower damage after late frosts.
A useful first step
Identify scale before choosing control timing. Compare normal seasonal leaf shedding with persistent leaf loss or branch dieback.
More growing details
Read the leaves
Leaves support the magnolia group; flower shape, flower timing, and provenance are needed for a named hybrid or cultivar.
Read the bark
Smooth gray bark and encircling stipule scars on twigs provide supporting clues.
Fruit & seed
Cone-like aggregate fruits may develop, though fruit set varies among hybrid selections.
Winter character
Large silky flower buds distinguish the flower-bearing tips.
Origin & place
An introduced garden species or horticultural hybrid; study it as part of WNC landscapes rather than assume it belongs to the native mountain flora.
WNC Notes
Classic specimen; flowers are vulnerable to late freezes.
Sun Exposure
Full sun–part shade
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
15–33
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
15–25
BLOOM SEASON
Early spring
BLOOM COLOR
Pink-white
FALL / WINTER COLOR
Yellow-brown
Wet-Soil Tolerance
Moderate
Drought Tolerance
Low
LOOK CLOSELY
Two views, a closer look.
Place two photographs beside one another. Compare the overall plant with leaves, flowers, or bark when those views are available. Captions identify what each photograph actually shows. Images are not at the same scale; species references may show different cultivars.
Whole tree — Magnolia × soulangeana. Species reference; the photographed specimen does not confirm the named variety. Age, pruning, and site affect its shape.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeBagemet ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.Species reference; does not confirm the named variety. Photograph subject: Flower☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeCabarrusco Hope Duckworth ↗ · CC BY 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.Species reference; does not confirm the named variety. Photograph subject: Magnolia x soulangiana☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeAndreas Rockstein ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.Magnolia x soulangiana. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeAndreas Rockstein ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.
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