Another magnolia question -this time Magnolia Loebneri "Leonard Messel"Does any have one of these?
By Urbanite
Leicestershire,
United Kingdom 
Another magnolia question -this time Magnolia Loebneri "Leonard Messel"
Does any have one of these? Saw it this morning in a garden centre with a label giving the height as 150-200cm, and thought it might be a nice alternative to the dratted privet. Looking it up on RHS, the height is given as 4-8m, with a spread also 4-8m.
OK, so the RHS is giving height/spread at 20-50 years but 8m is an awful lot bigger than 2m. I know some magnolias don't take kindly to pruning (we had a Mag grandiflora in the front garden when I was growing up - gorgeous but very temperamental when it came to being kept in check). So my question is, is it a small tree/ large shrub at a manageable 2m, or something hat I will come to regret buying as it overtops the pollarded tree in the street? (Though it might be nice being able to pick magnolia blossoms as I lie in bed of a spring morning)
3 Aug, 2013
Answers
Thanks Bamboo, I don't know that I'd be able to part with it once it had got up to the 2m stage. Perhaps best not to get attached in the first place and I would have bought it straight away if the garden had been ready. I will now start getting paranoid about the eventual height and spread of every shrub I like the look of (except that most shrubs are happy to have a bit of a trim now and then)
4 Aug, 2013
I'd give it a miss, frankly - it's never a great idea to keep a plant that wants to be large at a third of its mature height and spread. You could, though, plant it knowing you'll need to have it removed when it gets too big and enjoy it in the meantime.
3 Aug, 2013