Magnolia salicifolia is a small deciduous tree from Japan, about 7.5 m tall, with narrow leaves and fragrant white flowers that open in early spring before the leaves. It grows best in well-drained, slightly acidic soil in a sunny to partly shaded spot, and is grown outdoors in gardens.
Family
Magnoliaceae (Magnolia family)
Grows as
Tree
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Water regularly while young and during dry spells; once established, it needs moderate watering and should not sit in waterlogged soil.
Soil
Moist but well-drained, slightly acidic soil; rocky or gritty soil is fine.
Temperature
Hardy to around -20 °C once established; protect young plants from late frosts.
How easy
Moderate
Native range
C. & S. Japan
Climate
temperate
About
Magnolia salicifolia, also known as willow-leafed magnolia or anise magnolia, is a species of tree native to Japan. It is a small deciduous tree 7.5 m (25 ft) tall, with narrow lanceolate leaves with whitened undersides. The leaves are not as narrow as true willows (Salix), but are narrow compared to other magnolias, giving this tree a finer texture. The 10 cm-wide scented flowers emerge in early spring before the leaves. Flowers have six petals. The leaves and bark are fragrant when crushed. It grows in rocky, granite soil along stream banks.
The cultivar 'Wada's Memory', with double white scented flowers, has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Magnolia salicifolia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.