Fairy White Magnolia

Fairy White Magnolia (Magnolia 'Fairy White') does what most screening plants cannot: it flowers, and it flowers heavily. It reaches about 3m tall and 2.4m wide, holds glossy evergreen foliage all year, and carries scented white blooms from late winter through spring. The roots are non-invasive, so it can sit close to a fence, a path or paving.

Why you'll love it

• Fragrance in the quiet part of the year. Cupped white flowers open from late winter into spring, with a soft sweet scent that carries across a courtyard.
• Evergreen, so the screen never drops out. Unlike the deciduous magnolias it holds its leaves through winter, when most people want the privacy.
• Sized for a real backyard. At about 3m by 2.4m it screens a fence line without dominating a small garden.
• Safe around cats and dogs. Nothing on the plant is toxic to pets, which matters when a hedge sits at nose height.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1.2m apart in a single row. At that spacing the canopies meet within two to three seasons and each plant still fills out from the base.

Formal hedging and feature planting. The same 1.2m spacing suits a clipped hedge, trimmed straight after the spring flush so you keep next season's buds. A matched pair either side of an entry puts the scent where people walk past.

Pots and courtyards. A pot 500mm or wider holds it well and keeps it closer to 2m, though potted plants dry out fast in summer.

Growing Fairy White Magnolia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering, though it copes with a few hours of shade. It suits subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens and is frost hardy once established. The constant humidity of the wet tropics does it no favours, and in hard frost districts shelter it for its first two winters.

Soil. Free draining and slightly acidic. Work compost through the backfill, raise the bed on heavy clay, and mulch 75mm deep with the mulch pulled back off the stem. It will not tolerate sitting wet.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then reduce as the roots go down. Feed a controlled release fertiliser for acid loving plants in early spring and again in mid summer.

Pruning. Very little is needed. Tip prune young plants to thicken the base, and shape immediately after flowering. Growth is slow, so take small amounts often rather than one hard cut.

What to expect when it arrives

Two sizes are grown: 200mm in packs of six, and single 300mm pots. The 200mm plants are the sensible way to buy a run for a boundary, branched but still young. A 300mm plant is a step ahead and suits a pot or a feature position.

This is a slow to moderate grower, so expect a screen to read as solid in three to four years rather than one. A few dropped leaves after transit is normal. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the complete guide to magnolia care in Australia.
• Compare varieties in the magnolia collection.
• See other small magnolia varieties for tight spaces.
• Browse alternatives in hedging and screening plants.

Common questions

Does it drop its leaves in winter?

No. It is evergreen, so the foliage and the screen hold right through the cold months. Only the older interior leaves shed, a few at a time.

Can I keep it in a pot long term?

Yes, in a pot at least 500mm wide with free draining acidic mix. Expect it to settle nearer 2m than 3m, and refresh the top layer of mix each spring.

Is it safe for dogs and cats?

Yes. This magnolia is not toxic to cats or dogs, so it is a fair choice for a boundary hedge in a household with pets.