How to Trim a Star Magnolia Bush
The star magnolia bush is a flowering shrub that grows 15 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. It is also grown as a small tree. Star magnolia develops several trunks near the soil line, and creates a dense canopy of foliage and flowers. The shrub grows equally well in containers and directly in the earth. Star magnolias are deciduous and lose their foliage during the fall. Flowers appear in the early spring, before the leaves return. Magnolia bushes require very little pruning each year.
- The star magnolia bush is a flowering shrub that grows 15 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide.
- Star magnolias are deciduous and lose their foliage during the fall.
Trim the star magnolia in late winter or late summer. Pruning during spring or fall causes the branch wounds to bleed sap. Use sharp gardening shears to make clean, even cuts.
Examine the tree's branches for cankers. Cankers are open wounds on trees that cause weakness and rotting. Left alone, canker disease spreads to other branches on the tree, which eventually leads to tree death.
Use the gardening shears to trim affected branches 3 to 5 inches below the canker wound.
- Trim the star magnolia in late winter or late summer.
- Pruning during spring or fall causes the branch wounds to bleed sap.
Remove dead branches from the star magnolia bush. Trim spindly, weak branches completely off the bush.
Trim the bush into the desired shape. Star magnolia bushes keep their natural shape and only need to be trimmed to remove dead and diseased branches. To grow the bush in a tree shape, remove all of the branches from the lower portions of the trunks. This creates a tree image, with bare trunks and full canopy.
Prune Star Magnolia
Wait until the dormant season to prune your star magnolia. Pruning later, during the growing season, causes the bark to ooze sap -- a sloppy look, though it's not hazardous to the shrub's health. A light trim in late summer, after the growing season, is also safe. This keeps stems healthy for new blooming next year. Remove a few branches as desired to thin interior growth.
- Remove dead branches from the star magnolia bush.
- To grow the bush in a tree shape, remove all of the branches from the lower portions of the trunks.
Related Articles
References
- FineGardening.com: Magnolia stellata (Star magnolia)
- MidwestGardenTips.com: Pruning Specific Shrub Varieties
- Penn State Extension: The Star of Spring...Magnolia Stellata "Star Magnolia"
- Northern California Gardening: A Month-By-Month Guide; Katherine Grace Endicott; Nov. 10, 2005
- Fine Gardening: Magnolia Stellata (Star Magnolia)
- Ortho's All About Pruning; Judy Lowe, et al.; Dec. 1, 1998
Writer Bio
Elizabeth Balarini is a freelance writer and professional blogger who began writing professionally in 2006. Her work has been published on several websites. Her articles focus on where her passions lie: writing, web development, blogging, home and garden, and health and wellness. Balarini majored in English at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
