Teddy Bear Magnolia

Teddy Bear Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora 'Teddy Bear') is the magnolia to plant when you want a screen rather than a shade tree. It reaches about 4m tall and only 2.5m wide, and it holds thick glossy leaves right down to the base instead of lifting into a bare trunk. Turn a leaf over and you find the reason for the name: a dense rust brown felt underneath. Large cream flowers open through summer with the species' heavy citrus perfume.

Why you'll love it

• Narrow enough for a boundary. About 2.5m wide at maturity, so it screens a fence line without taking the garden bed or overhanging a neighbour.
• Denser than Little Gem. It grows more slowly and branches more tightly. Less height each year, far fewer gaps.
• Two tone foliage. Deep gloss on top, rust suede underneath, doing more work than the flowers for most of the year.
• Fragrant summer flowers. Cream blooms the size of a side plate.
• Roots that behave, and safe around pets. Non-invasive roots suit narrow beds beside paths, and it is not toxic to cats or dogs.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1.5m apart in a single row. At that spacing they knit into an evergreen wall while each keeps its natural shape, with no thin bare band along the bottom.

Formal hedging. It clips well and reshoots reliably, so it can be held at 2.5m to 3m with one trim after flowering.

Feature planting and pots. A matched pair either side of an entry is the classic use. In a 500mm pot or larger it stays nearer 2m to 3m.

Growing Teddy Bear Magnolia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the densest growth and the most flowers. Part shade works, but the screen stays looser. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens and is frost hardy, so Melbourne, Adelaide and the tablelands are comfortable. It also takes salt wind, which makes it a good coastal screen.

Soil. Rich, free draining and slightly acidic. On clay, plant on a raised mound with compost through the bed. Mulch 75mm deep, kept off the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then weekly in warm weather for the second year. Feed in early spring and late summer with a fertiliser for acid loving plants. Yellowing between the veins usually means the soil is too alkaline.

Pruning. Very little is needed. Tidy or shorten once summer flowering finishes, never in late autumn, or you remove next season's buds.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown from 250mm packs of three and single 300mm, 400mm and 500mm pots through 45L, 75L, 100L and 200L, up to advanced 400L, 500L and 1000L specimens. For a screen the 45L to 100L sizes are the practical middle ground: real height on day one, still light enough to plant without machinery.

This is a slow grower. Expect roughly 300mm to 400mm of height a year once established rather than a metre, which is the trade off for the density. Plants travel upright and 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 every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Spacing and care for a Teddy Bear screen
• Compare the full magnolia range
• Browse other hedging and screening plants

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

1.5m apart in a single row. Close enough to fill the gaps within a few seasons, far enough that each plant keeps its natural conical shape rather than being forced into a hedge.

How is it different from Little Gem?

Teddy Bear is slower, denser and shorter, with heavier rust coloured leaf backs. Little Gem grows faster and taller. For a screen, choose Teddy Bear. For height quickly, choose Little Gem.

Will it lift my paving?

It is very unlikely. The root system is fibrous rather than aggressive, which is why it suits narrow beds beside paths and driveways. Allow a metre of clearance.