Maudiae Michelia

Maudiae Michelia (Michelia maudiae) is the evergreen magnolia relative to plant when you want perfume and privacy from one tree. It reaches about 6m tall and 3.5m wide, holds glossy dark leaves down to the base, and opens large white flowers through late winter and early spring when most gardens have nothing out. The roots are fibrous and non-invasive, so it can sit near paving and boundaries.

Why you'll love it

• Perfume in the coldest months. The white flowers scent the air around them from late winter, filling the gap before spring gets going.
• Evergreen cover, not seasonal cover. Unlike the deciduous magnolias it holds its foliage all year, so the screen still works in July.
• Roots that stay out of trouble. Fibrous and non-invasive, which makes it a sensible choice near paving, fences and services.
• Very little asked of you. No spraying programme, no annual hard prune, and it shrugs off humidity and wind once established.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 2m apart in a single row. At that spacing the canopies knit together while each tree keeps enough light to stay furnished low down.

Hedging. It takes a trim well and holds at 3m to 4m as a tall formal hedge, though you trade some flowers for the tighter shape.

Feature and shade. As a single specimen the 3.5m canopy shades a seat or courtyard, and the flowering season earns it the focal point.

Growing Maudiae Michelia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering; part shade suits hotter inland gardens. It is at home in subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate districts and copes with humidity and wind. Frost is the limit: light frost only, so shelter young plants through their first two winters and choose something hardier for hard frosting inland or tableland gardens.

Soil. Well drained and slightly acidic is ideal. Work compost through the backfill, and on heavy clay raise the bed rather than digging a sump. Keep 75mm of mulch clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then a good weekly soak in dry spells. It wants steady moisture rather than drought. Feed a complete slow release fertiliser after flowering and again in late summer.

Pruning. Almost none for a specimen tree. When shaping a screen, trim straight after flowering so you do not remove next season's buds.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown in a single advanced size, a 200L specimen, so you are buying a tree with real height and a formed canopy. It is listed on backorder, meaning it is grown to order rather than held in stock.

Trees are delivered Australia wide, and advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. There is a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Expect some leaf drop after transit and a quiet first month while the roots move out, then normal growth from the next warm flush. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the guide to magnolia care in Australia, which applies directly to this species.
• Compare the range in our magnolia collection.
• Browse other fragrant plants for the same effect at a smaller scale.
• See the alternatives in screening plants from 4m to 8m.

Common questions

Is this actually a magnolia?

Yes. Botanists moved the michelias into Magnolia, so you will see it sold under both names. The plant and its care are identical either way.

How far apart do I plant it for a screen?

Two metres apart in a single row. Closer planting does not close the screen faster and only makes the lower branches shade each other out.

Will it handle frost?

Light frost only, and only once established. In cool temperate gardens give it a sheltered spot with overhead cover for the first couple of winters.

When does it flower?

Late winter into early spring in most districts, a few weeks later in cooler southern gardens. Flowering is heaviest on plants in full sun with a spring feed behind them.