Tree · Magnoliaceae
Jane Magnolia
Magnolia 'Jane'
A small tree that opens tulip-shaped purple-pink flowers late enough to dodge the spring frost.
Full sun
Every 5–10 days
USDA 4–8
10–15 ft · 3–4.6 m
Overview
Jane magnolia is one of the eight Little Girl hybrids bred at the National Arboretum, a deliberate cross made to flower late. It grows as a compact tree or large shrub, reaching 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 m) in time, with a rounded shape that fits a small yard. The tulip-shaped flowers open purple-pink on the outside and pale within, well before the leaves fill in.
What sets Jane apart is its timing. It blooms in mid-to-late spring, a good 2 to 4 weeks after the star and saucer magnolias, which is exactly why its flowers so often escape a late frost that ruins earlier kinds. Many trees send up a scattering of extra blooms again in summer.
It asks little once settled. Give it sun, room to spread, and steady moisture while it's young, and this slow grower turns into a long-lived, easygoing tree that earns its place every spring.
Care
The short version: full sun to part shade in rich, moist, slightly acidic soil. Keep it watered while it establishes, mulch to hold moisture, and prune only right after it flowers.
Light
Jane magnolia flowers best in full sun but takes partial shade or partial sun without complaint. The more sun it gets, the heavier the bloom, so give it an open spot if you can.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist with regular watering, every 5 to 10 days, and lean toward the wetter end while the tree is establishing or during a dry spell. A ring of mulch holds that moisture in. Once it's settled, it copes with moderate drought.
Soil
Plant it in rich, well-drained loam that runs acidic to neutral, ideally a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. It puts up with clay better than most, so heavy ground isn't a deal-breaker as long as it drains.
Temperature
The tree is hardy across a wide range, from a deep cold of -29°F (-34°C) up to summer heat near 95°F (35°C). That toughness is what lets it grow through USDA zones 4 to 8.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity suits it fine, so there's no figure to track. Air movement matters more, since still, damp air is what invites powdery mildew onto the leaves.
Feeding
Feed once in early spring with a balanced or acid-forming fertilizer. That single seasonal feed is plenty, and going heavier on nitrogen only invites scale and soft growth.
Pruning
Prune right after it flowers, because next year's buds form on this year's growth and a late cut takes the blooms with it. Beyond clearing dead or crossing branches, it needs almost none.
Repotting
This is a landscape tree that's rarely containerized, so repotting hardly comes up. If one is held in a pot, slowed growth, water rushing straight through, or roots circling the sides mean it's time to move up.
Size & spacing
Expect a mature height of 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 m) and a spread of 8 to 12 feet (2.4 to 3.7 m). Give it that much open room from the start so the crown can fill out without crowding.
When to plant
Jane magnolia keeps its own clock. Plant it in spring or early fall while the weather is mild, then wait for the show in mid-to-late spring, when it flowers later than most magnolias and usually clears the frost.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Spring or early fall
- Harvest: Mid-to-late spring (mid-April to early May), about 2-4 weeks later than star and saucer magnolias; often reblooms sporadically in summer
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 4–8
Temperature: down to -34°C
Troubleshooting
Jane magnolia stays healthy most years, so trouble is the exception rather than the rule. When something does go wrong, it usually shows on the leaves or twigs first. Match what you see below and act before it spreads.
Waxy bumps on the twigs with sticky leaves and black film below
Those raised bumps are magnolia scale, sap-sucking insects that shelter under a waxy shell. As they feed they drip sticky honeydew, which then grows a black coat of sooty mold on the leaves underneath. Prune out the worst twigs, hit the young crawlers with horticultural oil in summer or during dormancy, and let predators do the rest.
Fix:
- Prune out and destroy heavily infested twigs
- Apply horticultural oil during dormancy or treat crawlers in summer
- Encourage natural predators
Dark blotches on leaves with twigs dying back
Dark leaf spots paired with sunken lesions on the wood point to leaf spot or canker fungi. Once a branch starts to die back, prune it out and destroy the wood rather than leaving it on the tree. Clear away fallen diseased leaves and keep the tree watered and mulched so it can shrug the rest off.
Fix:
- Prune out and destroy cankered or dead wood
- Rake and remove fallen diseased leaves
- Maintain plant vigor with proper watering and mulching
A white, powdery dust across the leaves
This is powdery mildew, a fungus that settles on the leaf surface when the air is humid and still. It rarely hurts a healthy tree, so treat it as a cosmetic nuisance. Thin crowded growth for better airflow, rake up fallen leaves in autumn, and reach for a labeled fungicide only if it gets bad.
Fix:
- Rake and dispose of fallen infected leaves
- Improve air circulation by thinning
- Apply a labeled fungicide if severe
Toxicity
Good news for anyone with pets or children: every part of this tree is safe. The ASPCA lists magnolia as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, with no toxic compounds in the leaves, bark, or flowers. A curious nibble might cause a passing stomach upset, as any plant can, but nothing here will poison.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Cats can nose around a Jane magnolia without any worry, since the ASPCA lists it as non-toxic.
Dogs None
A dog that chews a fallen leaf or flower won't be poisoned by it, though a big mouthful of any plant can still bring on a passing stomach upset.
Horses None
Horses are in the clear here too, as magnolia carries no toxic principles for them.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits face no toxic risk from the leaves or blooms.
Livestock Safe
Grazing animals such as goats and cattle can browse near the tree safely.
Birds Safe
Birds that perch in the branches or pick at the fruit come to no harm.
People Safe
The tree is safe around children, with nothing poisonous in the leaves, bark, or flowers.
No special handling precautions are required for toxicity.
Varieties
Jane is one of eight Little Girl hybrids, and its sisters share the same late-blooming, frost-dodging habit in a range of flower colors. These are the ones you'll run across.
Ann
A sister in the Little Girl series with slender, upright reddish-purple flowers that open among the earliest of the group.
Betty
A Little Girl hybrid whose large blooms open wide to show purple-red outsides and clean white insides.
Susan
A Little Girl hybrid carrying fragrant fuchsia-red flowers with a slightly twisted petal shape.
Randy
A more upright Little Girl hybrid with narrow purple-pink flowers held tight to the stem.
Judy
One of the eight National Arboretum Little Girl hybrids, this one blooming in deep red-purple.
Pinkie
A Little Girl hybrid known for its paler pink flowers that open later than its sisters.
Ricki
A spreading Little Girl hybrid that flowers in deep purple-red.
How to propagate
Because Jane is a named hybrid, it only comes true when you clone it. There are three ways to do that, each suited to a different level of patience and skill.
Stem cuttingsModerate
Early to mid summer using softwood to semi-hardwood growth · Several weeks to root; one or more seasons to establish
Take cuttings of softwood to semi-hardwood growth in early to mid summer, since a named hybrid like this only stays true when you clone it. The cuttings take several weeks to root and a season or more to settle in. Seed won't give you the same plant, so cuttings are the home gardener's route.
GraftingDemanding
Late winter to early spring onto compatible magnolia rootstock · One to several seasons
Nurseries graft Jane onto a compatible magnolia rootstock in late winter or early spring to reproduce it true to type. It's demanding work that takes one to several seasons to establish, which is why it stays mostly a commercial method.
LayeringModerate
Spring · One or more seasons to root before separation
In spring you can pin a low branch down to the soil and let it root while still attached to the parent. It needs a season or more to root before you cut it free, and the new plant is an exact clone of the one you started with.
Myths
Magnolias bloom too early and always lose their flowers to spring frost.
Jane and the rest of the Little Girl series open 2 to 4 weeks later than the star and saucer magnolias. That late start usually carries the flowers past the worst of the spring frosts, and the tree often throws a few more blooms in summer for good measure.
Magnolia flowers and foliage are poisonous to dogs and cats.
The ASPCA lists magnolia as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, with no toxic principles in any part of the plant. A curious pet can sniff or mouth a fallen bloom without danger.