‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ is a compact, dense evergreen form of the southern magnolia, grown for its glossy leaves with brown, velvety backs and its fragrant white flowers.1EDIS. Magnolia grandiflora ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’: ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ Southern Magnolia Once it has rooted in, it is a low-maintenance tree. It does best with good siting and deep watering early on, and little fussing after that. It is also one of the hardier southern magnolias, which is why it gets planted farther north than many of its relatives.
What a Healthy Bracken’s Brown Beauty Looks Like
This cultivar was found as a seedling at a South Carolina nursery in 1968 and chosen for its very dense, pyramid-shaped growth.2Journal of the American Magnolia Society. New cultivars of Magnolia grandiflora The canopy is symmetrical and somewhat upright, which makes it a good choice for large spaces.3Arboriculture & Urban Forestry. Evaluations of Magnolia grandiflora Selections in South-Central Alabama, U.S. The leaves are glossy dark green on top with wavy edges.4Journal of the American Magnolia Society. New cultivars of Magnolia grandiflora
Flip a leaf over and the underside is covered in a rusty, cinnamon-brown felt.5Rockledge Gardens. Magnolia Bracken’s Brown Beauty Among southern magnolias tested in Alabama, this was one of three with the fuzziest, brownest leaf backs, a trait growers prize.6Arboriculture & Urban Forestry. Evaluations of Magnolia grandiflora Selections in South-Central Alabama, U.S. The brown backs flash as the branches move in the wind. New leaves may look lighter until the felt develops fully.
The cup-shaped white flowers are fragrant and open in late spring.7Missouri Botanical Garden. Magnolia grandiflora ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ A few more keep appearing through summer.8Missouri Botanical Garden. Magnolia grandiflora ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ The blooms are about half the size of those on a typical southern magnolia,9Journal of the American Magnolia Society. New cultivars of Magnolia grandiflora at around 4 to 6 inches across. Expect a modest show from a young tree, which may bloom lightly for its first few years.
Choosing the Right Spot, Sun, Soil and Spacing
This magnolia grows best in full sun but tolerates partial shade.10Guzman’s Garden Centers. Bracken’s Brown Beauty Magnolia Tree Aim for 6 to 8 hours of direct sun a day for the most flowers and the healthiest leaves.11Guzman’s Garden Centers. Bracken’s Brown Beauty Magnolia Tree A sunnier spot also keeps this compact tree looking full.12EDIS. Magnolia grandiflora: Southern Magnolia
Climate can change the best exposure. In the hotter parts of the South, a spot with full sun through the morning and some shade in the hottest afternoon hours can keep the leaves from scorching while still giving the tree enough light to stay dense and flower. Near the cooler edge of its range, full sun is the better choice. The extra warmth helps the tree ripen its growth before winter, and a bright spot dries leaves faster after rain. A spot that looks sunny at noon may sit in shadow for half the day, so check in the morning, midday, and late afternoon.
Southern magnolia prefers acidic soil but tolerates slightly alkaline, wet, or clay soils.13EDIS. Magnolia grandiflora ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’: ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ Southern Magnolia This cultivar copes with ground ranging from well-drained woodland soil to compacted city soil.14Victoria Gardens. The Stand Out Features of Bracken’s Brown Beauty Magnolia In central and western Texas and Oklahoma, though, the climate is usually too hot and dry and the soil too alkaline.15EDIS. Magnolia grandiflora ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’: ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ Southern Magnolia
If you suspect alkaline ground, test your soil pH before planting. A home pH kit or a county extension soil test will tell you whether the soil is acidic or alkaline. To check drainage, dig a test hole and fill it with water. If it is still full after a day, drainage is poor, so plant slightly high or choose a better-drained spot.
Its density makes it especially effective planted in rows as an evergreen screen.16Garden Goods Direct. Bracken’s Brown Beauty Magnolia Space trees 12 to 15 feet apart for a solid screen.17Wilson Bros Gardens. Brackens Brown Beauty Magnolia – 3 Gallon Pot Space them 25 feet or more apart if you want each tree to stand on its own.18Wilson Bros Gardens. Brackens Brown Beauty Magnolia – 3 Gallon Pot
It becomes a large tree, so keep it away from house walls and driveways. The dense evergreen canopy shades out lawn grass beneath it. Leathery leaves drop year-round, so avoid placing it over pools or patios.
Planting and Watering Through Establishment
Dig a hole two to three times wider than the root ball but no deeper. Set the top of the root ball level with or slightly above the surrounding soil. If roots circle the inside of the pot, loosen them gently so they grow outward. Backfill with the native soil and water thoroughly to settle it. Finish with 2 to 3 inches of mulch, keeping it a few inches from the trunk.
Fall or early spring planting gives roots time to grow before summer heat. In colder areas, spring planting lets the tree settle before its first winter.
Water deeply and regularly during the first few growing seasons so the tree builds a wide root system.19Monrovia. Bracken’s Brown Beauty Magnolia Once it is established, you can water less often.20Monrovia. Bracken’s Brown Beauty Magnolia It still does best with regular moisture and only tolerates short dry spells,21Monrovia. Bracken’s Brown Beauty Magnolia so give it a deep soak during dry periods.22Garden Goods Direct. Bracken’s Brown Beauty Magnolia23Garden Goods Direct. Bracken’s Brown Beauty Magnolia
Deep watering means water soaking in rather than running off, so apply it slowly at the root zone. A soaker hose works better than a sprinkler that wets the leaves. Push a finger a few inches into the soil and water when it feels dry. Drooping or yellowing new leaves in summer can signal drought stress.
Fertilizing Only When the Tree Needs It
Magnolias rarely need fertilizer to thrive.24Garden Goods Direct. Magnolia Tree Care Guide Test the soil first to avoid overloading it with nitrogen or other nutrients.25Garden Goods Direct. Magnolia Tree Care Guide If feeding is needed, a balanced slow-release fertilizer such as 10-10-10 applied once in spring is enough.26Plant Addicts. Fertilizing Magnolia Tree Spread the fertilizer wide over the root zone rather than piling it at the trunk, since magnolia roots spread far.27Southern Living. How To Grow And Care For Magnolia Trees
On a fertilizer label, the three numbers are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, in that order. Too much nitrogen pushes leafy growth and can reduce flowering. Slow-release products feed gradually, which lowers the risk of burning roots.
In alkaline soil, an acid-forming fertilizer made for hollies and azaleas can lower pH a little.28Garden Goods Direct. Magnolia Tree Care Guide If a mature tree hasn’t bloomed recently, a fertilizer higher in phosphorus, the middle number, such as 12-24-12, can help it set buds.29Plant Addicts. Fertilizing Magnolia Tree
Pale or yellowing leaves with green veins can point to soil that is too alkaline, which a soil test can confirm. Feeding never fixes poor drainage or drought, so check watering first.
Leaves left under the tree to break down return some nutrients to the soil. Lawn fertilizer reaches the roots too, so if you feed the grass beneath the canopy, the magnolia is already getting some.
Cold Hardiness and Winter Protection
In cold-hardiness tests it had the hardiest stems of three newer southern magnolias, but its leaves were less cold-hardy than the other two.30Journal of Environmental Horticulture. Cold Hardiness of Magnolia grandiflora L. Cultivars After a severe freeze you may see browned leaves while the branches stay alive. Wait until new growth starts in spring before cutting anything you think is dead.
Winter leaf burn shows up as leaves turning brown or bronze at the edges or all over, often on the windward side. Damaged leaves may drop in spring as new ones push out. To check a doubtful twig, scratch it. Green tissue under the bark means it is alive.
In cold or windy sites, plant out of the path of drying winter winds, such as on a building’s sheltered side. Water deeply in fall so the tree goes into winter well hydrated, and mulch the root zone to keep the soil from freezing as deeply. Young trees benefit most from this protection in their first winters.
Pruning Lightly to Keep Its Natural Shape
Do shaping in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins.31Tree Services Charleston WV. Southern Magnolia Bracken Brown Beauty Guide Dead or damaged growth can be removed any time.32Plant Addicts. Bracken’s Brown Beauty Magnolia Start with dead, diseased, crossing or rubbing branches.33Perenual Plant Database. Bracken’s Brown Beauty Magnolia Cut suckers sprouting from the base or roots as well.34Perenual Plant Database. Bracken’s Brown Beauty Magnolia Make clean cuts just outside the branch collar, the swollen ring where a branch meets a larger one.35Tree Services Charleston WV. Southern Magnolia Bracken Brown Beauty Guide
On a young tree, removing low branches helps establish a clear trunk.36Plant Addicts. Bracken’s Brown Beauty Magnolia Avoid shearing it into a tight shape, because its natural pyramid looks best.37Tree Services Charleston WV. Southern Magnolia Bracken Brown Beauty Guide
Topping the tree to control height leaves ugly regrowth and weak branches. On a screen, removing too many lower branches at once opens gaps.
Whether to keep low branches depends on the job. As a screen, branches kept low give the best privacy. As a shade or lawn tree, raise the canopy gradually so you can walk beneath it, removing no more than a few lower limbs per year.
Magnolia Scale and Other Insect Problems
Magnolia scale insects suck sap through needle-like mouthparts.38Wisconsin Horticulture. Magnolia Scale They then drip a sticky sugary liquid.39Wisconsin Horticulture. Magnolia Scale Black sooty mold grows on this liquid, coating leaves and staining patio furniture below.40Wisconsin Horticulture. Magnolia Scale Heavy infestations weaken branches, cause dieback, and can eventually kill the tree.41Wisconsin Horticulture. Magnolia Scale
To spot scale, look for small bumps on twigs that scrape off with a fingernail. Sticky leaves, or ants and wasps around the tree, hint at the sugary liquid they drip. Blackened leaf surfaces usually mean sooty mold growing on it.
The insects’ waxy cover makes many insecticides ineffective.42cdn.wildapricot.com. Integrated pest management of Magnolia Scale The young scale insects have little wax and are easiest to kill, so time any insecticide spray to when they emerge.43cdn.wildapricot.com. Integrated pest management of Magnolia Scale Horticultural oil sprays in the dormant season are part of good control.44cdn.wildapricot.com. Integrated pest management of Magnolia Scale If ladybird beetles are feeding on the scales, skip summer pesticide sprays.45cdn.wildapricot.com. Integrated pest management of Magnolia Scale Check the tree regularly, since small infestations are easier to manage.46Wisconsin Horticulture. Magnolia Scale Inspect new plants before bringing them home, and don’t move cuttings or branches from infested trees.
Algal Leaf Spot and Keeping Leaves Healthy
Southern magnolias can get algal leaf spot, caused by a parasitic alga that spots leaves and cankers twigs.47Mississippi State University Extension Service. Algal Leaf Spot of Southern Magnolia Warm, humid weather encourages it to grow and spread.48Mississippi State University Extension Service. Algal Leaf Spot of Southern Magnolia Avoid sprinklers that wet the leaves and keep the tree well watered at the roots.49Mississippi State University Extension Service. Algal Leaf Spot of Southern Magnolia Rake and destroy fallen leaves, and pick off a few infected leaves on lightly affected trees.50Mississippi State University Extension Service. Algal Leaf Spot of Southern Magnolia Prune nearby overhanging plants to improve airflow.51Mississippi State University Extension Service. Algal Leaf Spot of Southern Magnolia A copper fungicide can be used if the problem persists.52Mississippi State University Extension Service. Algal Leaf Spot of Southern Magnolia
Algal spots are raised, rusty or greenish-gray patches on the upper leaf. Don’t confuse these spots with older leaves yellowing and dropping in spring, which is normal evergreen turnover.
A few spotted leaves are cosmetic and need only cleanup. Twig cankers or widespread spotting warrant treatment.