Scented Pearl Magnolia

Scented Pearl Magnolia (Magnolia yunnanensis 'Scented Pearl', still widely sold as Michelia yunnanensis) is a compact evergreen magnolia to about 3m tall and 2m wide, dense enough to clip as a hedge. Velvety brown buds sit on the branches through winter, then open in spring to creamy white flowers with a strong sweet perfume. Few plants this size work as well as a hedge, a pot specimen and a fragrant feature.

Why you'll love it

• Perfume worth planting for. The spring flowers carry a rich sweet scent that reaches across a courtyard, which is why it is usually placed near a door or a seat.
• Dense enough to hedge. Growth is tight and well branched rather than open, so a row at 1m spacing clips into a solid green face.
• Evergreen and compact. It holds foliage year round and stops at about 3m, so there is no winter bareness and no fight to contain it.
• Tougher than it looks. Frost hardy, wind firm, drought tolerant once established and comfortable in humid summers.

Where it works best

Hedging and screening. Plant 1m apart in a single row for a dense hedge held anywhere between 1.5m and 2.5m. Two trims a year keep the face flat and the flowering heavy.

Pots and courtyards. A single plant in a pot of 50L or larger holds its shape for years, and the scent is concentrated in a small enclosed space.

Feature and shaping. It clips well, so it can be grown as a ball, a low standard or a matched pair at an entry.

Growing Scented Pearl magnolia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering; part shade works and keeps the foliage a deeper green. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate and subtropical gardens, and it is frost hardy, so cold southern gardens are fine.

Soil. Well drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Magnolias resent soggy ground, so on clay plant on a raised mound and improve a wide bed rather than one hole. Mulch 75mm deep, kept off the stem.

Water and feed. Deep water weekly through the first summer while the roots spread, then only in dry spells. Feed with a controlled release fertiliser once flowering finishes in spring, and again in late summer for a young hedge.

Pruning. Tip prune from planting to build density early, then trim straight after flowering so the next season's buds have time to set. Plants that have grown loose take a harder cut and reshoot from the older wood.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes as tube stock and as a pack of six 200mm plants. Tubes are young, single stemmed and the value option for a long hedge run, a season behind but quick to catch up. The pack of six 200mm plants covers 6m of hedge at 1m spacing and starts noticeably taller and better branched. Expect a quiet few weeks after planting, then new growth in the first warm season, with a young hedge closing over two to three years. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95 and our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Magnolia care guide for Australian gardens
• Browse the full magnolia range
• Small magnolia varieties compared
• Shop fragrant plants for near a door or seat

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. That spacing lets each plant fill out properly while still closing into a continuous face within a few seasons.

Will it grow in a pot?

Yes, and it is one of the better magnolias for the job. Use a pot of at least 50L with free draining mix, and water more often than you would a plant in the ground.

How strong is the scent?

Strong for the size of the flower, and carried on warm still air. In an enclosed courtyard one plant is usually enough.

Does it need full sun to flower?

Full sun brings the heaviest flowering, but it still performs in half a day of direct light. Deep shade cuts flowering back sharply and opens the growth up.