Images Depict Mature Plants
Stellar Ruby Magnolia
Magnolia figo 'Stellar Ruby'
Stellar Ruby Magnolias are highly fragrant banana shrubs with glossy evergreen foliage. Their small ruby pink flowers persist from late spring throughout summer. This low maintenance evergreen hedge should be planted in well drained soil with access to full sun and partial shade.
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Stellar Ruby Magnolia Banana Shrubs for Sale Online
Stellar Ruby Magnolia Shrubs (Magnolia figo 'Stellar Ruby') are highly unique evergreen hedges. Their fragrant, ruby pink blooms shaded with purple have a delicious banana scent. This compact, densely branched shrub has narrow, glossy evergreen leaves and an upright growth habit. Use near the front of borders so the sweet fragrance can be enjoyed. This banana shrub blooms in late spring, throughout the summer, and into fall. The flowers of the Stellar Ruby Banana Magnolia are small and delicate, only about 1 inch across, yet their sweet fragrance can permeate a large area.
Magnolia Stellar Ruby plants thrive in full sun but can adapt to shade. When you first plant your banana shrub, make sure to monitor watering carefully while its roots are being established. After its first season of establishment, this evergreen shrub is drought tolerant and heat tolerant. It is deer, disease, and pest resistant.
| Hardiness Zone: | 7-9 |
|---|---|
| Mature Height: | 6 to 10 Feet |
| Mature Width: | 6 to 10 Feet |
| Classification: | Flowering shrub |
| Sunlight: | Full sun to part shade |
| Habit: | Compact, rounded |
| Flower Color: | Pink to ruby, very fragrant |
| Foliage: | Green |
| Soil Condition: | Any well drained soil |
| Water Requirements: | Water well until established |
How to Care for Stellar Ruby Magnolia
Be sure to read our planting instructions to ensure a healthy and happy plant for years to come!
How do I water Stellar Ruby Magnolias?
After back filling and lightly compacting the 50/50 mix of existing soil and compost give your banana shrub a good deep watering. This is not to be rushed. Most of the water you put on the plant at first will run away from the plant until the soil is soaked. A general rule of thumb is to count to 5 for every one gallon of pot size. For example a one gallon pot would be watered until you count to 5 a three gallon pot would be 15 and so on. Check the plant daily for the first week or so and then every other day there after. Water using the counting method for the first few weeks. Gator Bags are a good investment that will help minimize the watering chore.
How do I plant Stellar Ruby Magnolias?
We suggest when planting your newly purchased Stellar Ruby Magnolia plants that you dig a hole twice as wide as the root system but not deeper. Depending on the quality of your existing soil you may need to add a locally sourced compost or topsoil to the back-fill soil. We do not recommend using straight topsoil or compost as a back-fill soil because more times than not these products will retain entirely to much moisture and will cause the root system to rot. Adding compost or topsoil will help the young feeder roots of Stellar Ruby Magnolia to spread through the loose, nutrient rich soil, much easier than if you used solely the existing soil which more times than not will be hard and compacted. The most common cause of plant death after transplanting is planting the new plant to deep. That is why we do not recommend planting in a hole any deeper than the soil line of the plant in the pot. A good rule is that you should still be able to see the soil the plant was grown in after back-filling the hole.
How do I fertilize Magnolia Stellar Ruby?
Banana shrubs grow best if they are fertilized lightly in the spring once frost has passed with a well-balanced, extended-release, fertilizer such as Espoma Tree-tone. Fertilize Magnolia Stellar Ruby again 6 to 8 weeks later to encourage denser foliage or faster growth of young trees. We recommend Bio-Tone fertilizer when planting. Either chemical fertilizers or organic matter can be used successfully. Since an organic method of applying manure and/or compost around the roots, produces excellent results and also improves the condition of the soil, this would be an excellent first line of attack. Organic additions to the soil can also be combined with a shot of chemical fertilizer for maximum effect.
How do I mulch Magnolia Stellar Ruby?
We highly recommend that you mulch your banana shrub with either a ground hardwood mulch or a ground cypress mulch depending on your local availability. Any type of mulch will do but cypress or hardwood mulch will be of a higher quality and provide better nutrition overall as they breakdown. Mulching helps to keep weeds away which will compete with your new investment for water and nutrients. A 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch is sufficient but remember to take care not to cover any part of the stem of the plant with mulch. It's better to leave a one inch gap of space between the mulch and the stem or trunk of the plant.
