Fairy White Michelia

Fairy White Michelia (Magnolia 'Fairy White', still widely sold as Michelia) is an evergreen magnolia bred for hedging, and it flowers almost year round in a warm garden. It reaches about 3m tall and 2m wide, stays dense right to the ground, and the small white blooms carry a strong sweet perfume you notice from several metres away. Few hedging plants give scent, screening and clean evergreen foliage at once.

Why you'll love it

• Perfume that carries. Creamy white flowers open in flushes across most of the year, strongest in spring, with a rich scent noticeable from across a courtyard.
• Dense to the base. It branches low and holds foliage at ground level, so a hedge has no thin strip along the bottom.
• Compact by nature. At roughly 3m by 2m it screens a fence line or a neighbouring window without ever needing hard cutting back.
• It clips beautifully. The small glossy leaves take shaping cleanly, so formal hedges, pillars and standards all work.

Where it works best

Hedging and screening. Plant 1m apart for a dense hedge. At that spacing the plants close into a solid perfumed wall in two to three seasons, and each still gets enough light to stay furnished low down.

Pots and courtyards. A pot 500mm or wider suits it, and container growing holds it closer to 2m. Position it near a doorway or seating area where the scent is put to work.

Topiary and feature planting. A matched pair clipped as balls or standards at an entry is the classic use, and single plants shape well.

Growing Fairy White Michelia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering and the densest hedge, though it takes part shade with a looser habit. It suits subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens, is frost hardy once established, and handles humidity and wind well.

Soil. Well drained soil enriched with compost, slightly acidic for preference. It will not tolerate waterlogging, so raise the bed on heavy clay. Mulch 75mm deep and keep it clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper as the roots go down. Feed a controlled release fertiliser in early spring and again in late summer to keep the flowering flushes coming.

Pruning. Tip prune from planting to build density. Trim after the main spring flush, then again in late summer. It reshoots readily from older wood, so a hedge that has been let go can be brought back.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in 200mm packs of six, 250mm packs of three and single 300mm pots. The 200mm plants are the value option for a long hedge and are usually knee high with several branches. The 250mm and 300mm plants are a season ahead, worth the difference for a short run or a pot.

Some flower buds may drop after transit, which is normal and no reflection on the plant. Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete magnolia care guide for Australia
• Browse the full magnolia range
• Compare fragrant plants for the garden
• Other hedging plants worth considering

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. Any tighter and the plants shade each other out at the base, which is exactly what you are paying for with this variety.

How tall will it get if I leave it alone?

About 3m tall and 2m wide, which is small for an evergreen magnolia. Two trims a year hold it at 1.5m to 2m if you want a lower hedge.

Does it really flower all year?

In subtropical and warm temperate gardens it flowers in flushes across most of the year, heaviest in spring. In cooler southern gardens expect a defined spring and autumn display instead.