Fairy Blush Michelia

Fairy Blush Michelia (Michelia 'Fairy Blush') is a compact evergreen relative of the magnolia, reaching about 3m tall and 2m wide, that carries heavily perfumed blush pink flowers over a remarkably long season. The scent is the point: one plant beside a doorway or a seating area is enough to fill the space. Its roots are well behaved, so it can be planted close to paving without worry.

Why you'll love it

• Perfume that carries. Small blush pink flowers, opening in flushes over months rather than one brief burst, scented strongly enough to notice from several metres away.
• Evergreen and dense. It holds glossy foliage year round, so a screen planted with it works in July as well as January.
• The right size for a small garden. At 3m by 2m it screens a boundary or a window without taking over a courtyard.
• Non invasive roots. Safe near paths, driveways and services, which is unusual for a screening plant of this height.
• Coastal and wind tolerant. Salt laden wind and humid summers both suit it.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 1m apart in a single row for a dense screen. At that spacing the canopies knit into a solid wall at around 3m, and it clips well enough for a soft formal hedge.

Feature planting near a door or path. A single plant where people pass repays itself in scent. This is the use that suits it best in a small garden.

Pots and courtyards. A pot 500mm or wider holds it comfortably at around 2m, provided you accept the watering commitment that comes with any potted evergreen.

Growing Fairy Blush Michelia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, with part shade suiting hotter inland gardens. It grows well in subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate districts. It takes light frost only, so in hard frosting inland or southern gardens give it a sheltered warm wall and protect it for two winters.

Soil. Well drained, slightly acidic and enriched with compost. It will not accept waterlogging, so raise the bed on heavy clay and keep 75mm of mulch clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first two summers, then taper off as the roots go down. Feed a complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and again in midsummer to keep flowering heavy.

Pruning. Very little is needed. Tip prune after a flowering flush to thicken the growth, and trim a hedge lightly twice a year. Growth is slow and deliberate rather than fast, so resist the urge to cut hard while the plant is filling out.

What to expect when it arrives

This michelia is grown here as an advanced 100L specimen: a substantial plant, already branched and carrying real height on the day it lands. Given how slowly it grows from small stock, that is what most buyers of this variety are after.

Plan the delivery before you buy. Plants are delivered Australia wide, and advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, so a 100L specimen is quoted on transport rather than posted. Some leaf drop after transit is normal and not a fault, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The most fragrant plants for Australian gardens
• Browse the full magnolia range
• Compare other fragrant plants
• Screening plants that finish between 2m and 4m

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. Any wider and the gaps take years to close given its steady growth rate.

How strong is the perfume?

Strong, and it carries. The flowers themselves are modest in size, but a mature plant scents a courtyard or an entry path, which is why it is usually planted where people walk past.

Will it grow in a cold garden?

Only where frosts are light. It handles cool temperate conditions, but repeated hard frost damages the foliage and checks growth. A sheltered north facing position makes a real difference in marginal districts.