For a 'Michelia' you don't have much of a choice between M. x alba, champaca and figo because they are generally the most easy to find of Michelias. The others are more difficult to obtain.

Of the three, I believe most people would prefer M. x alba for it's heavenly scent, it has the potential to bloom more often. Does fine in a pot, can bloom indoors in proliferation. Flowers last for several days and are good for picking. But still, it can also be out of blooms for a few months especially if it isn't liking the weather.

M. figo flowers fall apart easily, aren't really good for picking. Scent is very nice and noticeable during certain parts of the day only.

M. champaca is hard to find blooming size plants and generally doesn't bloom as often as Michelia alba in most cases. Can't comment on the scent as my 6 foot plant that I have potted for almost 2 years already hasn't bloomed yet.

The other Michelia species, such as maudiae, doltsopa, yunnanensis (Magnolia dianica) are very difficult to find across most of America and even in mail-order. To get to blooming size might possibly take several years of being planted in the ground and I don't think are hardy in your zone outdoors.

There is another former Michelia that is perfect for pot culture inside the home. Loves low light. It blooms even when the plant is small too. That is Michelia pumila (now known, like the other Michelias, as Magnolia coco). Good luck finding that. While flowers last only a day, they are among the most strongly scented. :)

Plantogram.com has Michelia alba. As does T0ptropicals. You can also find it on eBay or Amazon.

Are these plants a prime target for pests in the winter? In particular mites?

Do they have disease problems as well...?

Would you say they are easier to care for than, let us say a Gardenia for us folks up here in the winetry north?

Thank you for the info here. I am very interested in buying one myself..

Mike

the great michelia, anyone of them is recommended. They are all unique and beautiful in their own way : ).

I have the figo and alba growing indoor by my south-facing windows. Figo can take some abuse, uniquely strong banana scent. I took 5 cuttings to propagate 3 months ago, and one of them has rooted today!

The Alba I dare not to neglect, though I have been easing off on pampering it. Still a tough plant. It has a nice, refreshing fragrance, flower stays on for about a week.

I think they are easier than a non-hardy Gardenia. My Frostproofs are practically care-free. : )

I agree that Magnolia x alba would probably be the best choice. In the short time I have had mine, it has been surprisingly unfussy and about a thousand times easier than any gardenia I have ever seen. I grow mine in an unshaded southeast window and I do not take it out for the summer. It is currently heavily budded and I am awaiting another flush of bloom.

Mike,
Get a Michelia x alba already! :D If the air layering that I have going ever works I'll be glad to share it with you. :) This is one of those plants that has to be experienced by fragrant plant lovers. Most will love it.

I managed to murder gardenias and an Osmanthus Fudingzhu in the last year. But I have had my Michelia x alba for 2 years now. In my experience, I find that it is very easy as long as you pay attention to it, attend to it's needs and treat them accordingly. See the FAQs.

Spider mites aren't a problem for me, but I did have a little scale and aphid infestation on it (grr hitch hikers). I use dish soap and water in a spray bottle and also nit picking every leaf every so often. Now they're terminated for good. :) I only get spidermites from mail order plants and deal with them easily by isolating them and using the same spray.

If you do ever get a spidermite problem that is so bad you can defoliate it totally. This will help greatly by getting rid of most of the spider mites. And the other thing is, Daxin mentioned in another thread that in China, to induce flower production, defoliating the plant is what they do.

As some of you know, all Michelias are now placed into the genus Magnolia. But I still use Michelia interchangeably, as most sellers still use Michelia, except for Magnolia coco (Michelia coco/pumila).

yes, the M alba is a toughie. The one I bought on Ebay arrived with a bad case of scales. Almost all the leaves were infected with red scales. I had to wait for it to grow out new leaves before removing those old ones. It did that and even flowered afterward! : )

PLUS, the leaves also have a nice scent! :)

Yeah, the leaves of M. x alba smell something like incense. That's another good thing about that plant.

Some other Magnolias have scented leaves. If you squish the leaves of M. virginiana it smells like bay leaves. And I read something like M. lacei smells like citrus.

I wouldn't contradict anyone about how lovely m. alba is, but I want to say a word for michelia figo.

First, to my nose, the scent from m figo is not *just* bananas, it's a very rich, sweet scent with other notes in it. It tends to be fragrant in the mornings.

There is a special variety of the figo, var Skinneriana, offered by NurCar (Nurseries of Carolina) that has every bit of the beautiful scent of the common, but more flowers at once, and is fragrant all day.

Your wife would love this, too.