Coco Magnolia

Coco Magnolia (Magnolia coco, still sold in many nurseries as Michelia figo 'Coco') is grown for perfume rather than size. It settles at about 2.5m tall and 2m wide, one of the very few strongly fragrant shrubs compact enough for a courtyard. The cream white flowers open late in the day and carry a heavy tropical scent right across a small garden after dark.

Why you'll love it

• Perfume that arrives in the evening. The blooms open towards dusk and scent hardest at night, so plant it beside a deck or a bedroom window.
• Compact by nature. At roughly 2.5m by 2m it covers a fence line without the annual wrestle a 5m screening plant demands.
• Evergreen cover. Thick leathery foliage stays on through winter, so the privacy does not disappear with the cold weather.
• Coastal tough and low maintenance. Salt and humidity tolerant, and one light trim after flowering plus a feed twice a year is the whole job.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 1m apart in a single row for a dense fragrant screen. At 2.5m it suits a side boundary or a pool fence where a taller hedge would take light off the house.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A container 500mm wide or more holds it at 1.5m to 2m, sited where people sit in the evening.

Feature planting. A single plant shapes into a neat rounded shrub, and a matched pair at an entry puts the scent where it counts.

Growing Coco Magnolia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to dappled part shade, though flowering is heavier with at least half a day of direct sun. This is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, and it shrugs off humidity. It takes light frost only, so in cold inland districts, the tablelands and hard frosting southern gardens, grow it in a pot that moves under eaves for winter.

Soil. Rich, free draining and slightly acidic. Work compost through the backfill and raise the bed on heavy clay, since it resents standing water. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of the stem.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then weekly in dry spells. It is not drought tolerant and drops buds if it dries out while flowering. Apply a controlled release fertiliser for flowering shrubs in early spring and mid summer.

Pruning. Tip prune after the main flush to thicken growth and shorten any branch running away from the shape. It reshoots from older wood, so a leggy plant can be brought back.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow it in three sizes. Tube stock is young, a single stem under knee height, and the value choice for a long run. The 200mm plants, sold in packs of six, are the usual pick for a hedge and arrive already branching. The 300mm pot is the specimen size, tall enough to read as a real plant on day one.

Plants travel upright and packed, delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. A few dropped leaves after transit is normal. Expect a quiet three to four weeks, then fresh growth, and a first real flush of flowers in the second warm season. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete guide to magnolia care in Australia
• Browse the full magnolia range
• Compare other fragrant plants for small gardens
• Planning a garden around scent

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. At that spacing the canopies knit together within about two seasons, and each plant keeps enough light to stay furnished at the base.

Why can I only smell it in the evening?

That is normal for the species. The flowers open late in the day, peak at dusk and through the night, then fade by mid morning.

How much frost will it take?

Light frost only, and only once established. Young plants want protection through their first two winters, and gardens with regular hard frosts are better off with a camellia.