MICHELIA alba (White Fragrant Magnolia)

Michelia alba, the white fragrant magnolia (Magnolia x alba, syn. Michelia alba), is one of the most intensely perfumed trees you can plant in a warm Australian garden. It grows to around 10m tall and 5m wide with a dense upright canopy of glossy evergreen leaves, and it carries slim ivory flowers through the warm months whose scent crosses a garden on a still evening. This listing is an ex ground specimen: a field grown tree lifted for planting, not a nursery pot.

Why you'll love it

• Perfume that carries. The narrow ivory flowers are modest to look at and extraordinary to smell, which is why the species is grown commercially for its oil.
• Evergreen all year. Unlike the deciduous magnolias it holds glossy foliage through winter, so it screens and shades in every season.
• Fast for a tree this size. It puts on height quickly in warm conditions, giving shade and privacy in years rather than decades.
• Bought at size. An ex ground tree gives you a mature specimen on day one rather than a decade of waiting.

Where it works best

Feature planting. One tree is enough. Give it a position near a door, terrace or bedroom window where the perfume will be noticed, with room for a 5m canopy.

Shade tree. The dense canopy casts genuine shade over a lawn or seating area, and being evergreen it does not drop a season's leaves in one go.

Screening. Planted 3m apart it forms a tall evergreen screen. Allow for the mature height before planting under power lines or close to a house.

Growing michelia alba in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, sheltered from strong wind, which tears the large leaves. It is frost tender and belongs in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens only, so cold inland districts, the tablelands and cool southern gardens are unsuitable.

Soil. Deep, rich, free draining soil with compost worked through a wide planting hole. It will not tolerate waterlogging, so mound the area on heavy clay and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. An ex ground tree needs consistent deep watering for its first two summers while it rebuilds the roots lost at lifting. Feed with a complete fertiliser in early spring and again in midsummer.

Pruning. Little beyond removing crossing or damaged branches after flowering. Lift the lower limbs only if you want clearance underneath, and avoid hard cutting, which spoils the natural upright shape.

What to expect when it arrives

This is a single advanced ex ground specimen, field grown and lifted with a root ball rather than raised in a pot. It arrives as a substantial tree, so plan the hole, the access and the lifting help before delivery. Ex ground trees are best planted straight away, and the root ball must never be allowed to dry out.

Expect several months of settling with little new growth while the roots re establish, and some leaf drop after planting, which is normal for a lifted tree. Delivered Australia wide, with a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The magnolia tree care guide for Australia
• Browse other ex ground trees
• Advanced trees for instant height
• Compare other fragrant plants

Common questions

What does ex ground mean?

The tree was grown in the field and lifted with a root ball rather than raised in a pot. It gives far more size for the money, but it needs prompt planting and careful watering while the roots recover.

How large will it get?

Around 10m tall and 5m wide in a typical Australian garden, more in the humid tropics. Plan for that spread before planting near a house or services.

Will it grow in Melbourne or Adelaide?

Not reliably. It is frost tender and suited to tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. In cooler southern cities a hardier evergreen magnolia is the better choice.