Fencing
Η magnolia is an ancient genus, appearing before bees, and its flowers are thought to have evolved to encourage pollination by beetles. To avoid damage from pollination beetles, the carpels of magnolia flowers are extremely tough.
Magnolia (Magnolia sp., Magnoliaceae) is an ornamental tree and shrub, which grows as an evergreen or deciduous plant, depending on the species. It is a tree with slow growth, which can reach 3 meters in height, blooms from February to April. The leaves are large, glossy, ovate, green, the trunk smooth with a thin gray-brown bark and the flowers are huge white.
In Greece, three main species are planted as ornamental plants in gardens and parks:
- magnolia grandiflora: Evergreen tree, with large white fragrant flowers.
- Starry magnolia: Deciduous tree, with large double white fragrant flowers.
- magnolia soulangean: Deciduous shrub or small tree, with large white, pink flowers.
Development conditions
To enjoy its beautiful flowers, we plant it in sunny but also semi-shady positions. It has a special resistance well below 0°C, especially the M. stellata and M. soulengeana. The most suitable soils are light, rich in organic matter and relatively moist, while it shows a preference for acidic ones.
It needs daily watering in summer to keep the soil moist, and 1 to 3 times a week in winter. In any case, avoid excessive watering as its roots rot. It does not require special fertilization, but the addition of a complete and balanced fertilizer in spring and autumn will significantly enhance plant growth.
In order to give the magnolia the desired shape, we prune it after the end of flowering, in the spring. THE magnolia grandiflora usually no pruning is required, except for the removal of dry branches or leaves. When it comes to pests and diseases, it most often suffers from granulomas, tetanus, lice and botrytis fungus.
Uses
It is one of the most useful trees in gardening and landscape architecture. It is used in parks, squares, tree lines, as well as in plantings in the garden or on the lawn (lawn). Also, the bark and flower buds (buds) of M. officinalis, have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine. And finally, in some parts of Japan, its leaves M. obovata (anthoid) are used for wrapping food and as cooking dishes.
