White Michelia

White Michelia (Michelia alba) is grown for perfume above everything else. The narrow ivory flowers are small, but the scent carries right across a garden on a warm evening, and they open through most of the warmer months. In a garden setting it makes a dense evergreen tree of about 8m tall and 5m wide, with roots well behaved enough to plant near paving.

Why you'll love it

• Perfume you notice from the far side of the garden. These flowers are used in the perfume trade for good reason, and one mature tree scents an entire courtyard at dusk.
• Evergreen screening with a canopy. Glossy leaves hold all year, so it screens in July as well as January, and it matures into a genuine shade tree.
• Roots that stay out of trouble. Non-invasive, so it can sit closer to paths, driveways and services than most trees of this size.
• Slow and steady. It grows slowly, which keeps pruning demands low and makes it straightforward to hold at hedge height.

Where it works best

Fragrant screening. Plant 2m apart for a dense fragrant screen. At that spacing the canopies meet and the perfume concentrates along the line rather than dispersing.

Beside an outdoor room. Sited within a few metres of where you sit in the evening, it does more work than any flowering shrub. Keep it about 3m clear of the wall to allow for the canopy.

Shade and feature planting. A single specimen in lawn spreads to about 5m and casts dense shade, with a trunk clean enough to sit beneath.

Growing White Michelia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, with shelter from cold wind. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens and takes light frost only, so cold inland, tableland and southern districts are not suitable.

Soil. Deep, free draining and slightly acidic, improved with compost at planting. On heavy clay, plant on a raised mound. Mulch 75mm deep and keep it clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first two summers, then weekly in dry spells. Feed a complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and again after the main flowering flush.

Pruning. Very little is needed. Tip prune after flowering to thicken a screen, and lift the lower branches only if you want a clear trunk. Hard pruning is recovered from slowly, so take it in stages.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes in four sizes: a 300mm pot, then 100L, 200L and 400L specimens. The 300mm plant is a young single stemmed tree that will take several years to screen, which is the trade you make with a slow growing species. From 100L upwards you are buying a branched tree with real height and first flowering close at hand.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and the larger sizes need clear site access and help to position. Expect a settling season before strong new growth. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• A guide to the most fragrant garden plants
• Browse fragrant plants
• Compare screening plants from 4m to 8m
• Shop advanced trees for immediate height

Common questions

How strong is the perfume?

Strong enough to fill a courtyard on a warm, still evening and to be noticed several metres away. It arrives in waves rather than constantly, and is heaviest around dusk.

How fast does it grow?

Slowly, which is why the advanced sizes are worth the outlay. A 300mm plant takes several years to reach screening height, while a 100L tree gets there in a season or two.

Will it grow in a cooler southern garden?

Only in the mildest and most sheltered positions. It handles light frost at most, so cold inland, tableland and cool temperate gardens will lose it in a bad winter.