Claudia Wannamaker Magnolia

Magnolia grandiflora ‘Claudia Wannamaker’

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7a-9b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Evergreen Flowering Tree

Height at Maturity: 30-40′

Width at Maturity: 20-25′

Suggested Spacing: 12-15′ feet apart for solid screens; 27′ or more apart for space between trees

Growth Habit / Form: Dense, Upright, Pyramidal

Flower Color: White

Flower Size: Large, 7-8″

Flowering Period: Early Summer

Flower Type: Single

Fragrant Flowers: Yes – extremely fragrant!

Foliage Color: Dark Green, Copper-Orange undersides

Fragrant Foliage: No

Sun Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, All Day Filtered Sun, Morning Shade with Evening Sun

Water Needs: Average, Low when established

Soil Type: Clay (amended), Loam, Sand (amended), Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist

Soil pH: 4.5 – 6.5 (Acid to Slightly Acid)

Maintenance / Care: Low

Attracts: Visual Attention, Birds

Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Drought, Heat, Humidity, Insect, Wet Feet

Description

A major improvement on the native Southern Magnolia, ‘Claudia Wannamaker’ has proven to be one of the best and most reliable varieties over the years. As with her smaller cousins ‘Little Gem’ Magnolia and ‘Teddy Bear’ Magnolia, Claudia starts producing her large, cup-shaped, fragrant and pristine-white blooms at a very young age, and the smaller, “brown-backed’ wavy leaves are a very deep green with copper-orange undersides. All grown up you can expect Claudia to grow to about 40 feet tall and 20 to 25 feet wide with a dense, pyramidal form that makes her a perfect choice for a specimen or evergreen privacy screen plantings. Her foliage is excellent year round!

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing 30 to 40 feet tall and 20 to 25 feet wide, Claudia Wannamaker Magnolia is ideal for use in evergreen privacy screen plantings, as a focal point specimen, to frame in the corners of tall homes or other structures, or as espalier (trained to grow against a wall) on tall, open walls. A fine addition to fragrance, bird and wildlife gardens, cut flower gardens and cottage gardens.

Suggested Spacing: 12 to 15 feet apart for solid privacy screens; 27 feet or more apart for space between trees

See: Privacy Screen Planting Tips & Instructions

Growing Preferences

Claudia Wannamaker Magnolia is very easy to grow in most any moist but well-drained soil or average or better fertility and full sun or part shade. At least 4 hours of direct sunlight or all-day filtered sun is suggested. A rich, moist, well-drained, acid soil is preferred. Tolerates wet feet and is heat tolerant.

Helpful Articles

Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant, prune, feed and water Southern Magnolia trees.

How To Plant & Care For Southern Magnolia Trees

Privacy Screen Design Planting Tips & Instructions

Plant Long & Prosper!

Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff

Questions? Contact Us

I am a first-time customer with Wilson Bros Gardens. I purchased three magnolias: ‘Claudia Wannamaker’, ‘Southern Charm’ (TeddyBear®), and ‘MGTIG’ (“Greenback”). I was blown away by how large and healthy all three trees were when they arrived. At 3 gal, I was expecting small saplings. I am so very impressed and pleased with my order.——————————————We are so very glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and wonderful review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Plants arrived healthy and quickly———————————————Hi Anthony, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Claudia Wannamaker Southern Magnolia. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! 🙂
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens