I no longer have a Magnolia sieboldii, but when I did, I experienced the same thing- if it got much sun at all the leaves burned, even when watered well. It did bloom well, and the seed pods are great. I have seen beautiful ones that grew in dappled shade, and even bloomed well; they were on a timed irrigation system. Which is why Magnolia sieboldii is no longer in our garden. After 5 years of pampering, it was replaced for poor performance. (We don't have much shade, so it is premium placement!)

I'll agree on the leaf scorching. It is a challenge finding just the right location to prevent this. I settled on growing mine in a large container that I schelpp to various areas in the garden to maximize its filtered shade. It blooms pretty heavily for me and for an extended period. The other nice thing about the container is that I lift it or elevate it so that the flowers are more visible.

Thanks for the input. I still have a question (or 2 or 3...). Will it survive and eventually bloom in the spring despite the summer leaf burn? What does the early bloom reputation really mean....how many years/what size? I can live with some leaf burn if it will eventually bloom. jwww

Well, mine was only in a gallon container when I purchased it and it has bloomed consistantly ever year since. It survives the leaf scorch quite well - I've even lost most of the foliage on it and had it refoliate during the season and still manage to bloom.

Gardengal and others......OK now I'm even more curious about why this otherwise healthy tree is not blooming. At this time of year it has wet feet for quite a while. It is on a slope so it doesn't pool around it but the area is very wet. Before planting this area I did a lasagne layering with horse manure, cardboard and straw on top. There is a 3+ foot wide open area and beyond that there is more straw on top of remaining cardboard. Could it be too enriched and causing more stems to come up rather than blooming? jwww

If you find a solution, I would love to hear it! I, too, am still waiting for the first bloom. Mine was three years old when I got it, and it has been in its current site at least five years. Some branches are 7-8 feet tall. It receives morning and some filtered afternoon sun and is in a rather neglected bed (no compost for the past three years)- sandy soil with almost no additional water. I get some browning in late August or early September.

MG.....Thanks for responding and moving the question up the list again. If anything mine has too much compost. It sounds as if you are also not sure of what the usual time is to first bloom. jwww

Cutting-raised plants likely to bloom younger than seedlings. Best to buy in bloom anyway, inferior forms with washed-out looking anthers common.

I read all the follow-ups with great interest. I have had my sieboldii since the early 1990's on the west side of the house and year after year I've had a magnificent flower show from May into the fall. The multi-trunked tree stands in the middle of the flower bed and doesn't get any special treatment other than what fertilizer the flowers get. We are just south of the Canadian border.

Cooler area. A friend has a driveway near Laurel (east of Bellingham) lined with a row of them in full sun. There is also a Canadian nursery company that has a field in Whatcom county it has used to produce balled-in-burlap stock of this and other magnolias which have been sold to local garden centers.

That's not to say that either planting does not experience some summer damage, even up there. A little burning will not kill the plant.

Does anyone know if one bought from Greer Gardens 4 years ago would be a seedling or a cutting? jww

You'd have to ask them if you can't tell yourself by looking at it. If it came as a named selection, such as 'Colossus' it would have to be a cutting-raised plant or perhaps sometimes grafted, to be true-to-name.