Magnolia 'MANCHU FAN'

Manchu Fan is a white flowering rare magnolia from New Zealand. It bears medium-sized, goblet-shaped flowers that are almost pure white with a very light pink smudge at the bottom. The petals look like fragile china and do not open up completely keeping the elegant goblet shape. The flowers open in early summer, usually after danger of frost that could damage the blooms. Deciduous leaves are rich green, ovate to obovate. Manchu Fan grows medium fast into a regular oval-shaped shrub or a small tree with a rounded crown. It is usually about a third taller than wide.

Magnolias are not supposed to be pruned. You can prune old shrubs if ill, or trim them to shape or to reduce size, or make an elementary cut to young plants of unsightly or unhealthy appearance. Do this as soon as possible after flowering to secure setting of flower buds for the following year. Be aware that each magnolia can respond differently to pruning.

Deciduous magnolias are quite easy plants. All they need is light, well-drained, acidic soil with equal moisture throughout the year. Once established they can do with occasional drought but will not look as nice as the ones with regular watering. Just pay attention to how to plant your magnolia. First, find it a spot where it will live forever and ever. It does not like transplanting. And as it makes shallow roots reaching well over its spread stay away from disturbing the roots by digging or messing about around it. Just cover the soil with bark mulch and do not plant anything else near it after say the second year after planting onwards. You could damage the very important top roots that absorb maximum moisture and nutrients from the soil. Also avoid planting magnolia too deep. Thus you could be digging its grave. Plants with mature wood are hardy to about -29°C.

Last update 07-09-2010