Michelia alba

[Kim]

I like fragrance in the garden, so Michelia alba is under consideration. I saw a few plants at a market last week, the single open flower knocked my socks off with its scent! I might go back to get one, but first I need to know more about eventual size, exposure, pruning requirements, and anything else that you "wish you had known before planting one!" If I go for it, this will be in tropical rainforest conditions. Thanks!

[Dypsisdean]

You should go for it Kim. It's a nice tree, and as you said it has a great fragrance. They are called Pak-Lan here in Hawaii, and Champaka or Champak elsewhere in Asia. Similar in size and growth rate to an Avocado (maybe a little slower) if given optimum conditions, which you possess. There are a couple of different ones (white/yellow). So if you liked the scent of that one, get it. It is the fragrance in Chanel #5.

Edit: Oops, Ylang Ylang is Chanel #5, Champaka is Joy Perfume

[daxin]

It is possibly the most beloved fragrant plant for people from China and SE Asia. Over there it is used as a street tree and can get to over 30' high. The slightly opened flowers are used as natural perfume and are available from street vendors for a few cents each. It is thought to be a natural hybrid between Michelia champaca and Michelia montana, and with very few exceptions the seeds are usually infertile. As a result, most plants are propagated by either air-layering or grafting and they are often quite expensive. Your local Asian supermarkets such as Ranch 99 might have them occasionally with slightly better prices.

In SoCal this is an easy tree since you do not have to worry about frost. It does prefer eastern exposure and moisture in the air to keep up the the big lush dark green leaves you see on nursery plants. The roots are very fleshy and good drainage is a must. Compost and organic fertilizer are well appreciated. Acidic soil is also important to keep the leaves green. When well grown, this tree can bloom from late spring till early winter. For container plants, one great fertilizing recipe I learned is to mix 5 tablespoons of fish emulsion and 1 tablespoon of soluble 20-20-20 in 10 gallons of water. Use that once a week during growing season and flush with plain water once a month. Fish emulsion is strongly acidic and the 20-20-20 just fuels a flood of blooms on new growths. You can use the same recipe for in-ground plants, but you might be able to skip the 20-20-20 if your soil is already quite rich.

As for caveats, the only thing I can think of is the surprisingly large amount of dropped leaves, especially in early spring right before the new leaves come out. I usually give my tree a good shake once in a few days and a lot of the old yellow leaves just drop off. There is very few pest and disease problems. Sometimes it gets leaf spot during cool wet winters. You can strip the infected leaves and the spring growth will be just fine. Old branches can get leggy and they will regrow from old wood if shortened back.

Here is a photo of my 11-year-old tree in my previous home. Hundreds of buds are just about to bloom now. I really miss that tree and fortunately a friend gave me a replacement today.

[ariscott]

If you can.. get a grafted one. It will bloom sooner for you. Otherwise you would have a few years to wait...

Regards, Ari

[Kumar]

Hello Kim, You could try Gardenia jasminoides also - It's a very slow growing woody tree and produces scores of very fragrant white flowers that bloom at night. I have one in Calcutta that has survived for 45 years, withstood three major termite attacks, one fire, severe pruning and floods. I have seen open air specimens in Shimla (0 - 25/30 deg C) so it appears quite cold hardy.

[epicure3]

Hey Kim. I had one in my front yard that was planted out at about 4' high. 4 years later it was about 20'+ so it grows very quickly. The roots are extremely sensitive and a larger, well established tree doesn't mean that it is any less sensitive than a small one. I took it out last year because I grew tired of the leaf loss. The larger the tree, the more the cleanup. Since the tree is in the Magnolia family, the leaves don't break down very easily so one ends up spending way too much time gathering them up. They are also very finicky about how much water they want. Too much and leaf drop and rot will set in. Too little and you'll have more leaf drop. They are beautiful trees and they supplied me with enourmous amounts of flowers each spring and summer. However, I was glad to have it go when it was time.

[_Keith]

Don't know about Michelia alba, but I grow Michelia figo here. Its banana like scent is awesome and can easily cover a 30 foot diameter or more when in bloom. Great glossy green leaves otherwise. Great plant.

[rozpalm]

If you want a smallish and fragrant tree, you may want to consider Stemmadenia galeottiana.

[LJG]

Hey Kim. I had one in my front yard that was planted out at about 4' high. 4 years later it was about 20'+ so it grows very quickly. The roots are extremely sensitive and a larger, well established tree doesn't mean that it is any less sensitive than a small one. I took it out last year because I grew tired of the leaf loss. The larger the tree, the more the cleanup. Since the tree is in the Magnolia family, the leaves don't break down very easily so one ends up spending way too much time gathering them up. They are also very finicky about how much water they want. Too much and leaf drop and rot will set in. Too little and you'll have more leaf drop. They are beautiful trees and they supplied me with enourmous amounts of flowers each spring and summer. However, I was glad to have it go when it was time.

I had many in my garden and walking around t night was great. The entire air was filled with the fragrance. But alas! Like John, I have ripped all but one out. And now that it dropped its leaves and clogged my koi pond filter, I will now rip the last one out before spring. The leaf drop really is a pain. And the leaves that drop take some time to break down. Longer then other flowering trees I have.

Kim, if you want a smaller, nice fragrant flowering tree/shrub, try and fine Radermachera "Kunming". It is a nice plant for 'rain forest' SoCal gardens. Stemmadenia is another good one but not the easiest to grow. They are a borderline plant here in winter.

[epicure3]

Hey Kim. I had one in my front yard that was planted out at about 4' high. 4 years later it was about 20'+ so it grows very quickly. The roots are extremely sensitive and a larger, well established tree doesn't mean that it is any less sensitive than a small one. I took it out last year because I grew tired of the leaf loss. The larger the tree, the more the cleanup. Since the tree is in the Magnolia family, the leaves don't break down very easily so one ends up spending way too much time gathering them up. They are also very finicky about how much water they want. Too much and leaf drop and rot will set in. Too little and you'll have more leaf drop. They are beautiful trees and they supplied me with enourmous amounts of flowers each spring and summer. However, I was glad to have it go when it was time.

I had many in my garden and walking around t night was great. The entire air was filled with the fragrance. But alas! Like John, I have ripped all but one out. And now that it dropped its leaves and clogged my koi pond filter, I will now rip the last one out before sprint. the leaf drop really is a paid. And the leaves that drop take some time to break down. Longer then other flowering trees I have.

Kim, if you want a smaller, nice fragrant flowering tree/shrub, try and fine Radermachera "Kunming". It is a nice plant for 'rain forest' SoCal gardens. Stemmadenia is another good one but not the easiest to grow. They are a borderline plant here in winter.

I replaced the Michelia with a Stemmadenia. I was a little nervous planting it since it is borderline in hardiness. The wind storms we had over the winter ripped every last leaf off the Stemmadenia. I thought it was lost. But, it started leafing out again in March and looks pretty darn good right now. I would recommend it as a smaller replacement in warm coastal areas. Awesome flowers as well.

[Kim]

Thanks everyone for the comments and recommendations. If I can find a spot where the leaf drop is inconsequential, more in the forested part of my lot, I may go for it, but I'll look into the Stemmadenia also. I tend to be cautious about planting something that will grow to 30-40 ft.

Thanks again!

[epicure3]

Thanks everyone for the comments and recommendations. If I can find a spot where the leaf drop is inconsequential, more in the forested part of my lot, I may go for it, but I'll look into the Stemmadenia also. I tend to be cautious about planting something that will grow to 30-40 ft.

Thanks again!

The only place to find Stemmadenia (that I know of) is RSN. It is a small tree that needs a warm place is full sun.

[MattyB]

I was smelling the fragrance the whole day while I was working down wind of mine. I just needs one flower and you'll smell it in your whole yard. I pick a few flowers and set them around the house for air freshener so my house smells like dog crap and Michellia now. It's great. It grows faster and fuller in full sun. I love the leaf drop. I need more trees that drop leaves and create leaf litter.

[daxin]

Here are two mini-bouquets of Michelia alba and Jasminum sambac I got in Shanghai. They are good for several days and you can wear them for constant oral enjoyment.

To me leaf drop is just natural mulch and I try to keep the space underneath Michelia alba's canopy free of other plants. The leaves are not as tough as those on Magnolia grandiflora.

Stemmadenia is new to me and I will give it a try. Is Artabotrys hexapetalus (Climbing Ylang Ylang) hardy in SoCal? Its flowers are super fragrant. I've seen Aglaia odorata outdoors in SoCal. This is an evergreen compact shrub that looks like boxwood but with very fragrant flowers.