Scented Pearl Magnolia Espalier

Scented Pearl Magnolia (Magnolia laevifolia 'Scented Pearl', still widely sold as Michelia yunnanensis) is an evergreen shrub trained flat on a frame, so it screens a wall or a fence line without taking a metre of garden bed. Left free it forms a rounded shrub around 3m tall and 2m wide, with velvet brown buds opening to fragrant white and cream flowers in late winter and spring.

Why you'll love it

• A screen in almost no depth. Trained on wires it holds a green wall roughly 300mm deep, which suits a narrow side passage or a courtyard boundary.
• Fragrance in the cool months. Creamy white flowers carry a sweet perfume through late winter and spring, when little else is out.
• Evergreen and dense. Glossy leaves with a soft brown reverse hold all year, so the screen works in July as well as January.
• It takes clipping. Small leaves and a compact habit make it one of the better magnolias for topiary and shaped work.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant espaliered frames 1.5m apart along a fence or wall. At that spacing the arms meet within a season or two and read as one continuous panel.

Hedging and shaping. Untrained plants make a 2m to 3m informal hedge at 1.5m spacing, or clip into balls, cones and standards.

Feature planting and pots. A single espalier against a rendered wall is a strong architectural feature, and a pot 500mm or wider holds one for years if you keep the water up.

Growing Scented Pearl Magnolia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, with shelter from hot afternoon sun in warmer districts. It suits subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens and is wind tolerant enough for an exposed boundary. It takes light frost only, so hard frosting inland and tableland gardens will lose buds and young growth.

Soil. Well drained and slightly acidic, with compost worked through before planting. It will not accept waterlogging, so raise the bed on heavy clay. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of the stem.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper off as it becomes drought tolerant. Feed a complete slow release fertiliser after flowering and again in mid summer.

Pruning. Prune straight after flowering. On an espalier, tie in new leaders along the frame and shorten anything growing forwards or backwards. Two light trims a year hold a formal shape, and it reshoots readily from older wood if it gets away from you.

What to expect when it arrives

Two sizes are available. Tube stock is an untrained young plant, the value option if you are prepared to build the espalier yourself over two or three years. The 400mm plants are the trained espaliers, supplied on their frame with the arms established, which is what most buyers want for an immediate screen.

Espaliered plants are bulky, so keep the frame supported and fix the plant to its wall or wires promptly. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect a quiet month, then new growth to tie in. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read about espaliered trees and the space they save.
• Compare varieties in our magnolia collection.
• See other screening plants that hold 2m to 4m.
• Browse more fragrant plants for near a door or window.

Common questions

How far apart do I plant espaliers along a fence?

About 1.5m frame to frame. That lets the trained arms knit together into a continuous panel without the plants competing at the roots.

Does it need a wall or a frame?

The trained plants arrive on a frame and need wires, a trellis or a wall to tie back to. Without support the arms pull out of shape.

How cold is too cold?

It handles light frost, not hard frost. Gardens with heavy frosts lose flower buds and new growth, so use a warm sheltered wall or a hardier screen.