Plant Encyclopedia

Description:

A stunning magnolia that produces luminous yellow blooms with plum flushed bases; a small tree with an upright columnar form and large, relatively coarse leaves; flowers just as foliage appears; an ideal landscape or garden accent

Ornamental Features

Judy Zuk Magnolia is covered in stunning fragrant yellow cup-shaped flowers with plum purple eyes held atop the branches in early spring before the leaves. It has dark green deciduous foliage. The large pointy leaves turn coppery-bronze in fall.

Landscape Attributes

Judy Zuk Magnolia is a deciduous tree with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Judy Zuk Magnolia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Shade

Planting & Growing

Judy Zuk Magnolia will grow to be about 25 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more.

This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.