Magnolia x loebneri
Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Magnolia kobus var. loebneri
- Phonetic Spelling
- mag-NO-lee-ah LEB-ner-ee
- Description
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The Loebner magnolia is a flowering, deciduous hybrid tree or large shrub and a cross between Magnolia kobus and Magnolia stellata. It is a member of the magnolia family (Magnoliaceae). It is a smaller magnolia, 8 to 30 feet tall, and equally as wide, with an upright habit and rounded crown. Fragrant, star-shaped, white blooms have up to 15 tepals, appear in March to April, and are followed by cone-like fruits. Its leaves are medium to dark green and obovate. Interestingly, its bruised stem emits a sweet fragrance. As with other magnolias, wildlife may use it for cover both within the dense branches and on the ground beneath. The specific epithet loebneri honors Max Loebner. He was a German horticulturist and made the first cross of this hybrid in the early 1900s.
Loebner magnolia can be grown in full sun or at the edge of a woodland area with partial shade. Prefers moist, well-drained, organically rich, loamy, slightly acidic soil. It is intolerant of urban conditions and extremely wet or dry soil. To prevent frost damage in spring, plant in a protected location. For newly established trees, it may take 3 to 4 years before they bloom. It also has a low tolerance to transplanting.
A beautiful spring-flowering tree for a lawn or along a woodland border. Loebner magnolia would be a striking specimen near a patio or terrace setting.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Potential insects include scale. Late spring frosts can damage flower buds.
- See this plant in the following landscape :
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Ballerina'
Grows 15-20 ft. tall, blooms with up to 30 tepals, white with a pinkish center - 'Donna'
White flowers, up to 8 inches in diameter, with 12-13 tepals, opening flat or reflexed - 'Encore'
Grows 8-15 ft. tall, 6-15 ft, wide, with fragrant white blooms with light pink interior
'Leonard Messel'
- 'Merrill'
Grows 20-30 ft. tall and wide, with fragrant, large white blooms blushed with pink - 'Neil McEacharn'
Grows up to 30 ft. tall; large shrub, small tree, pink flower buds open as small, white flowers
'Spring Snow'
- 'White Rose'
Large shrub, with white, cup-shaped blooms, up to 22 tepals, the outer tepals tinged with pink at the base - 'White Stardust'
Large shrub to small tree, dark green foliage, white blooms with 14-15 erect tepals
Grows 15-20 ft. tall, 10-15 ft. wide, large shrub or small tree, with fragrant, deep pink flowers and white interior
Grows 25-30 ft. tall, with fragrant, pure white blooms with up to 15 tepals - 'Ballerina'
- 'Ballerina', 'Donna', 'Encore', 'Leonard Messel', 'Merrill', 'Neil McEacharn', 'Spring Snow', 'White Rose', 'White Stardust'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Ballerina'
Grows 15-20 ft. tall, blooms with up to 30 tepals, white with a pinkish center - 'Donna'
White flowers, up to 8 inches in diameter, with 12-13 tepals, opening flat or reflexed - 'Encore'
Grows 8-15 ft. tall, 6-15 ft, wide, with fragrant white blooms with light pink interior
'Leonard Messel'
- 'Merrill'
Grows 20-30 ft. tall and wide, with fragrant, large white blooms blushed with pink - 'Neil McEacharn'
Grows up to 30 ft. tall; large shrub, small tree, pink flower buds open as small, white flowers
'Spring Snow'
- 'White Rose'
Large shrub, with white, cup-shaped blooms, up to 22 tepals, the outer tepals tinged with pink at the base - 'White Stardust'
Large shrub to small tree, dark green foliage, white blooms with 14-15 erect tepals
Grows 15-20 ft. tall, 10-15 ft. wide, large shrub or small tree, with fragrant, deep pink flowers and white interior
Grows 25-30 ft. tall, with fragrant, pure white blooms with up to 15 tepals - 'Ballerina'
- 'Ballerina', 'Donna', 'Encore', 'Leonard Messel', 'Merrill', 'Neil McEacharn', 'Spring Snow', 'White Rose', 'White Stardust'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Magnolia
- Family:
- Magnoliaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Wildlife Value:
- Beetles pollinate the flowers. The tree or shrub may be used as cover by wildlife.
- Play Value:
- Attractive Flowers
- Attracts Pollinators
- Fragrance
- Wildlife Cover/Habitat
- Wildlife Food Source
- Dimensions:
- Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12-24 feet
- 24-60 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Follicle
- Fruit Description:
- Fruits are a cone-like aggregate of follicles. They turn red when ripened in late summer.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Solitary
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Good Cut
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Shape:
- Star
- Flower Petals:
- Tepals
- Flower Size:
- 3-6 inches
- Flower Description:
- The flowers are fragrant, solitary, white, star-shaped, measuring 4-6 inches in diameter. Each flower has 15 long, narrow tepals. Cultivars are available in shades of blush pink, lilac pink, or pink, and the number of tepals varies. Blooms from March to April.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are alternate, simple, narrow oblong to ovate, medium to dark green, and grow up to 6 inches long and 1-2 inches wide. The margins are entire, the tips acute, and the base rounded. They can turn a yellow-brown color in the fall before dropping.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Smooth
- Bark Description:
- The bark is a silverish-gray and smooth.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- Yes
- Stem Buds:
- Hairy
- Stem Lenticels:
- Conspicuous
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- The stems are slender, reddish-brown to brownish-purple-green, dotted with gray vertical lenticels, and have no hairs. They have a sweet fragrance when bruised. The flower buds are oval, gray, with soft hairs, measuring 1-1.5 inches long. The leaf buds are smaller, measuring 0.25 to less than 0.5 inches long.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Patio
- Landscape Theme:
- Fairy Garden
- Nighttime Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Border
- Flowering Tree
- Small Tree
- Attracts:
- Pollinators
