Serendipity Banana Shrub (Magnolia Figo) – 5 Gallon Pot

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‘Serendipidty’ is a new and improved Banana Shrub with larger flowers and a much heavier bloom than the original species. You’ll definitely see the flowers on this one! We also hear that ‘Serendipity’ might be even more cold hardy. For 3 to 4 weeks in spring the abundant, fragrant, creamy white flowers come all at once aging to butter-yellow and smelling like a banana popsicle, hence the common name. Growing upwards of 15 feet in height, this one naturally forms a large and rounded evergreen shrub, or lower branches can be removed to form a very attractive small tree. The oblong, glossy, evergreen, green leaves are attractive year round and serve as the perfect backdrop to the numerous flowers. Though originally from China, this magnificent plant is one of the classic evergreens of the Old South.

The Serendipity Banana Shrub can be grown as a large shrub or lower branches can be removed to form a small tree that matures to about 15 feet tall and almost as wide. It is ideal for use as a specimen, in groupings, or as an evergreen hedge in sunny to partially shaded landscape borders. It is also useful in home foundation plantings to frame the corners or against an large, open wall. When growing in a shady environment the plant assumes a looser more open form with dark green leaves  but grows more dense with lighter green leaves in more sun. A fine addition to the fragrance or cottage garden. Make sure to plant Banana Shrub where you can enjoy the fragrance of the flowers from up close!

Suggested Spacing:  8 to 10 apart for a solid hedge;  20 feet or more apart for space between plants

Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Cold Hardiness Zone 7a, where the Banana Shrub is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and place back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.

Banana Shrubs prefer a moist but well-drained acidic soil with plenty of organic matter. Leaves of Banana Shrub growing in direct, full sun will be a lighter shade of green. Some filtered sun or dappled shade during the mid afternoon hours in summer produces deeper green leaves. It is not particularly fast growing and can be pruned after blooming, but is most impressive when allowed to grow to natural size and shape.

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