Tree people - what is this? and are the leaves safe for bunnuhs?

[chelle]

well - this is very interesting - we bought a tress that looks very much like this - someitmes shiny leaves & sometimes not - it was labelled "Magnolia"...but has never flowered in all the years we have had it & looks like a laurel to us too! Very odd.

Do all Magnolias flower?
Every year?

Our laurel bush flowered this year & had little red berries...which it had also not done for years before.:?

 

[Santa]

Another vote for magnolia here too! I have one in the garden - beautiful it is too when it flowers - but they are sensitive little souls and will go on strike if they are not happy so you might not see flowers every year. They flower very early before the leaves come out.

 

[yvette]

Id say magnolia.I have one under my bedroom window.Red flowers every year.They like ericacious soil.Perhaps theres not enough soil for it to be happy and flower.
My bunnies dont touch it.

 

[chelle]

Is Magnolia evergreen?

My "Magnolia / Laurel" is evergreen....:?

 

[kaths101]

Is it bad that I laughed at that...was slightly (only slightly!) more original than the usual stew jokes.

they have been quite well behaved tbh, gardeners are renowned for not liking rabbits!

yeah I laughed too :lol:

So magnolia or Laurel - is it ok for buns? or am I going to be leaf spotting every few hours!! so it flowers - oooo pretty
When will it flower? Im rubbish at gardening

 

[VickiP]

It's a young or possibly a magnolia that has been cut down, most definately a magnolia, I have one too, it was quite funny watching the squirrels eat the flowers and the flowers of the camelia so I don't think they can be highly toxic probably just something to keep an eye on rather than panic too much about I'd say, if they do start eating the leaves - mine is tree so the leave are higher up - I would just get some cheap plastic trellis and put that round the base with some bamboo canes to hold in place.:wave:

 

[lisa0307]

Is Magnolia evergreen?
My "Magnolia / Laurel" is evergreen....:?

The only Magnolia that's evergreen is Magnolia grandiflora, these do have shiny leaves and large white flowers...all the rest are deciduous.

Do all Magnolias flower?Every year?

Yes and yes but if you prune them constantly or prune at the wrong time of year then they will stop flowering.

 

[clutterydrawer]

Having just walked past the magnolia in the village I can say it definitely looks the same as yours

Not sure about whether it's rabbit safe. Cherry laurel definitely isn't though, in case you ever get one of those! :lol:

 

[chelle]

The only Magnolia that's evergreen is Magnolia grandiflora, these do have shiny leaves and large white flowers...all the rest are deciduous.



Yes and yes but if you prune them constantly or prune at the wrong time of year then they will stop flowering.

Thank you!
It was labelled "Magnolia grandiflora" when we bought it....BUT has never flowered...and we have never pruned it.

Is it possible that it was sold at a discount due to it the main branch breaking or something - would this cause it not to flower?

I would imagine pruning is every branch...so am confused as to why this plant has never flowered....:?

 

[lisa0307]

Thank you!
It was labelled "Magnolia grandiflora" when we bought it....BUT has never flowered...and we have never pruned it.

Is it possible that it was sold at a discount due to it the main branch breaking or something - would this cause it not to flower?

I would imagine pruning is every branch...so am confused as to why this plant has never flowered....:?

Magnolia grandifloras do best growing against a wall in a sunny position..they do have to reach a certain age and size before flowering...any chance you can post a picture of it. ...a family that live up the road from us planted one in their front garden around 12 years ago and it has only just started to flower...to be honest, although they are nice plants, the flowers are very big and so you don't get many on one plant which is why I suppose many people grow and train them against a wall...it allows them to grow really big (which they can do) and that way you get more flowers...Magnolia stellata is our favourite...

 

[yvette]

Dont forget the ericacious soil!!!!!!:wave::wave:

 

[chelle]

Dont forget the ericacious soil!!!!!!:wave::wave:

Thank you!

lisa0307
Alpha Buck
Join Date: Jan 2007
Quote:
Originally Posted by chelle
Thank you!
It was labelled "Magnolia grandiflora" when we bought it....BUT has never flowered...and we have never pruned it.

Is it possible that it was sold at a discount due to it the main branch breaking or something - would this cause it not to flower?

I would imagine pruning is every branch...so am confused as to why this plant has never flowered....

Magnolia grandifloras do best growing against a wall in a sunny position..they do have to reach a certain age and size before flowering...any chance you can post a picture of it. ...a family that live up the road from us planted one in their front garden around 12 years ago and it has only just started to flower...to be honest, although they are nice plants, the flowers are very big and so you don't get many on one plant which is why I suppose many people grow and train them against a wall...it allows them to grow really big (which they can do) and that way you get more flowers...Magnolia stellata is our favourite...
__________________
Life's A ***** And Then You Die

oooh ok - I will go snap a pic tomorrow...maybe it will look the same as
Kaths101 pic...hence why Ive asked all these questions...sorry if Ive hijacked your thread....

 

[prettylupin]

Magnolia grandifloras do best growing against a wall in a sunny position..they do have to reach a certain age and size before flowering...any chance you can post a picture of it. ...a family that live up the road from us planted one in their front garden around 12 years ago and it has only just started to flower...to be honest, although they are nice plants, the flowers are very big and so you don't get many on one plant which is why I suppose many people grow and train them against a wall...it allows them to grow really big (which they can do) and that way you get more flowers...Magnolia stellata is our favourite...

And mine It is the most gorgeous tree. Hilliers gardens in Romsey has a whole Orchard of full sized Stellata - it's simply breathtaking in Spring.

 

[glossta1]

magnolia

Our rabbit garden has a huge magnolia and the rabbits often nibble bits that drop off. They especially love the petals when the flowers come towards the end.

There are different sorts of magnolia - ours is the white tree one with pink hints. But I guess if one isn't toxic, they all aren't.

If it is laurel, it might be toxic - not sure. Those very rubbery shiny leaves somehow look nasty - how scientific am I... not!

 

[glossta1]

I've been out peering at leaves...

Amazing how similar they are in size and shape and waxiness. I've just been out into the garden to look.

The laurel leaves are slightly shinier and waxier, and the laurel leaves' veining can be seen more clearly from the front than the magnolia's - laurel veining looks yellow against the leaf's green-ness, whereas magnolia veining is same-coloured.

The leaf-stems of magnolia are a bit rougher and twiggier, whereas the laurel stems are much smoother, especially the recently grown ones.

So I think yours is magnolia. And because ours eat quite a lot (stuff that drops off, not stuff we give them), I'm going to say it isn't harmful. However, I ain't no expert.

Our tree is much bigger, with a broad trunk, and I've taken off all the lower branches so no greenery is in rabbit reach unless it drops off. If you plan for your rabbits to run free, it'd probably be worth you doing the same - and it'd make mowing easier too.

Good luck.

 

[chelle]

Magnolia grandifloras do best growing against a wall in a sunny position..they do have to reach a certain age and size before flowering...any chance you can post a picture of it. ...a family that live up the road from us planted one in their front garden around 12 years ago and it has only just started to flower...to be honest, although they are nice plants, the flowers are very big and so you don't get many on one plant which is why I suppose many people grow and train them against a wall...it allows them to grow really big (which they can do) and that way you get more flowers...Magnolia stellata is our favourite...

Im still trying to sort a pic out - I have taken them -but for some reason Photobucket keeps freezing on me...will update asap when I can...thanks again guys!

 

[chelle]

Heres my pics of "Magnolia"? - which has never flowered...ummm and looks like laurel too!:?

Is it the same as Kaths101?

It had rained...

xx

 

[clutterydrawer]

That looks much more like a laurel to me :? Was it sold as a magnolia???

 

[Santa]

That looks much more like a laurel to me :?

Yeah, I was just about to say the same thing!

 

[kaths101]

Mine doesnt seem as shiny as that - this is very confusing :? :lol: