Magnolia ‘Inspiration’

Magnolia 'Inspiration' (syn. Michelia 'Inspiration') solves an awkward brief: a flowering evergreen screen for a narrow bed. It grows upright to about 4m tall by 2.5m wide, holds dense glossy foliage all year, and in spring it opens large, fragrant, pink flushed flowers that most screening plants cannot offer. This is privacy that earns a second look.

Why you'll love it

• Big fragrant flowers on a screen. Pink and white blooms open along the branches in spring, large for a michelia and sweetly scented.
• Tall and narrow by nature. An upright habit around 4m by 2.5m fits boundary beds too tight for spreading trees.
• Evergreen privacy. Dense glossy foliage holds all year, so the screen still works in winter when deciduous options stand bare.
• Low maintenance once away. A single trim after flowering keeps it dense, with no constant cutting, spraying or feeding schedule.
• Copes with wind and humidity. Sturdier in exposed positions than its lush foliage suggests.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1.5m apart in a single row for a dense screen of 3m to 4m. The upright habit means the row stays on its own side of the path.

Hedging. Clipped harder, the same 1.5m spacing gives a formal evergreen hedge held at 2.5m to 3m, with the flowers kept by trimming after the spring bloom rather than before it.

Feature planting and pots. A single specimen carries a courtyard, and a very large container, 600mm or more, suits it for some years in a sheltered position.

Growing Magnolia Inspiration in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the densest foliage and heaviest flowering. It suits subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate climates, tolerating light frost only once established. In cold inland districts give it shelter from hard morning freezes and cutting winds.

Soil. Rich, slightly acidic, well drained soil with compost worked through the bed. Mulch 50mm to 75mm deep and keep it clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, weekly in the second, then normal garden care. Feed in spring after flowering with a fertiliser formulated for camellias and magnolias.

Pruning. One trim immediately after the spring flowering shapes the screen and protects next year's buds. Beyond that, remove crossing branches and let the upright habit do the work.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Magnolia 'Inspiration' as advanced 100L stock: a substantial plant with real height and an established frame, chosen for people who want a screen working from the first season rather than in five years. Stock this size arrives well hardened and transplants reliably with correct watering through the first summer.

Orders are delivered Australia wide, with a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare varieties in our guide to magnolia types in Australia.
• Browse the full magnolia collection.
• For perfume in a smaller package, see Port Wine Magnolia.
• Weigh other options in hedging and screening plants.

Common questions

What spacing should I use for a screen?

1.5m apart in a single row. With 100L stock the gaps close within a season or two, and the screen reads as solid at eye level almost immediately.

Can I keep it at 3m?

Easily. One trim a year straight after flowering holds it at 2.5m to 3m indefinitely, and the dense habit means it stays furnished to the base.

How is it different from Port Wine Magnolia?

Inspiration is taller and narrower, grown as much for the look of its large pink flushed flowers as for their scent. Port wine magnolia is smaller and slower, with hidden flowers and a stronger perfume. For a 2m scented hedge choose port wine; for a 4m flowering screen choose Inspiration.

Will it handle frost?

Light frost only. It is comfortable through most coastal and urban winters in the southern states, but repeated hard frosts in open inland positions will damage it. A warm wall makes a real difference in marginal areas.