Magnolia grandiflora ‘Exmouth’ is a dense evergreen tree with a straight trunk and a pyramidal to rounded crown. The foliage is large and elliptic in shape, with shiny dark green colouring. Its texture is smooth and leathery, while the bottom of the leaf is brown with a felted feel. From mid-spring and into autumn, large and fragrant creamy-white flowers bloom from the tips of the stems. They are bowl-like in shape and open in the morning before closing at night. Some Magnolias can up to 10 years before they begin to flower. Once flowers have stopped blooming, they are followed by cone-like seedpods that contain large rose-red seeds.
Landscape uses
Magnolias are perfect when used as a feature tree, informal screening and hedging, and planted along walls and fences. In our Camberwell project, we grew them alongside a fence where they’re visible from the pool and created an evergreen border down the side of the garden. You can view more of this project here.
How to plant
Plant in full sun to part shade in well-drained, organically rich and moist soil. Once established, it will tolerate sandy to heavy clay soil but may struggle in the growth phase. You can expect Magnolia grandiflora ‘Exmouth’ to grow anywhere between 9-12m high and wide. Space in your garden accordingly. Magnolias dislike extreme drought, wetness and pollution, so keep this in mind when planting in your garden.
Care and maintenance
A relatively low-maintenance plant – no pruning is necessary; however, if you want to prune, do so after the blooming season. Older leaves will drop during late spring and summer, so stay on top of general garden maintenance to keep your landscape looking clean.
