A little southern beauty

I’d been through my mid-winter photo files until I’d just about worn out my fingers. The weather was warm and wonderful after church last Sunday, so I decided to stop by our neighborhood Calloway’s and find a plant I could write about.

I’d no sooner hopped out of the car but what I spotted a cluster of Teddy Bear magnolias – perfect for a story at this “down” time of the year. They’re still looking pretty with their evergreen leaves. They are, after all, southern magnolias from the group that brings us those stately estate trees 80 ft. tall and taller across the Gulf South.

But Teddy Bear magnolias are much smaller. They peak out at 20 ft. tall and maybe not even that depending on soils and climate. Because they maintain a tight, pyramidal growth habit even without shearing, I’d be comfortable recommending setting them out on 7- or 8-ft. centers as a screening plant much as you might use a large holly, say Nellie R. Stevens. Except, Teddy Bear magnolias have much larger leaves that give a far bolder look in the landscape.

Grow Teddy Bear magnolias in full sun. Encroaching shade could cause the developing trees to become misshapen. They do best in deep, highly organic soil much like you would prepare for hollies.

Keep their soil moist at all times. You’ll want to keep them watered during periods of drought. As with hollies, if they get too dry, you’ll lose entire branches. You might lose the whole plant. They don’t wilt conspicuously, so it’s up to you to keep an eye on the soil to be sure it doesn’t dry out. Feed your trees with an all-nitrogen food just as you would your other shade trees.

Note that magnolias are especially sensitive to “weed-and-feed” lawn food products. The active ingredient Atrazine is most at fault.

Where Teddy Bear magnolias originated…
• Developed by Robert Harold Head, with Lisa Jones Head and William Alan Head of Head Ornamentals, Inc., Seneca, South Carolina.
• Was selected in 1985 as a single standout seedling from crosses of two unnamed and unpatented selections of Magnolia grandiflora.
• Was asexually propagated by stem cuttings to keep it genetically pure beginning July 1998.
• Plant Patent was filed April 25, 2001. Plant Patent 13,049 was granted October 1, 2002.
• Name of cultivar: Was patented under ‘Southern Charm.’ It is common for another name to be given plants when they are introduced into the nursery trade and to consumers. Garden Debut chose ‘Teddy Bear’ as its name.

What sets it apart…
When you walk up to a Teddy Bear magnolia, one of the first things you’ll notice will be the density of its leaves. There is very little space between them on the stems.

The leaves are smaller, giving them a somewhat more refined look if you’re using it in a smaller landscape.

The leaves are rolled – they have a different shape than most other cultivars of southern magnolia.

There is a bronze pubescence (fuzz) covering the backs of the leaves. It gives the trees a handsome 2-toned appearance. That also cuts down on transpiration – water lost through evaporation.

True to its reduced size, even the creamy white flowers are smaller. And it blooms over an extended period.

You’ve now met a new friend. (Or perhaps one you’ve already met.) Maybe this is the year to include it in your own landscape.