Little Gem Magnolia
Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’ · a dwarf Southern magnolia
A compact, slow-growing Southern magnolia with glossy leaves backed in bronze-brown felt and fragrant white flowers through summer, blooming even when young. It fits smaller gardens, patios and big planters. Give it moist, rich soil, neither soggy nor dry; its spring and fall leaf drop needs tidying.
- Mature size
- 18 × 9 ft
- 5.5 × 2.7 m, tall × wide
- Hardiness
- Zones 7a–9b
- USDA
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Dry to moist
- Blooms
- May–Aug
Little Gem Magnolia at its mature size
A mature Little Gem Magnolia grows 12 to 25 feet tall and 6 to 12 feet wide, taller than most people.
Drawn to scale beside a 5 ft 9 in person. With VeraScape, you see it at this size in your own yard.
Typical mature size, unpruned. Sources: NC State Extension, The Tree Center, Clemson Extension.
Through the year
What Little Gem Magnolia looks like month by month in a typical zone 6–7 garden.
In leaf · Sep–Apr
Glossy dark green leaves, no flowers.
In flower · May–Aug
Glossy dark leaves with large white cup flowers.
Photos
Growing Little Gem Magnolia
- Grows well in
- The Southeast, the Plains and Mountain West, and California.
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Good for
- Privacy screen, small space, drought tolerant, pollinators, and fragrant
- Leaves
- Evergreen
- Native to
- Southeastern United States
Spacing
VeraScape spaces plants so their grown canopies just touch. For Little Gem Magnolia, that’s about 9 ft apart, center to center.
Place a row in your own yard and VeraScape spaces them at their mature width, so you can see whether they’ll crowd the walk.
See Little Gem Magnolia in your yard before you dig
Visualize it at its true size, alongside the rest of your design.
Other magnolias
Jane Magnolia
Sweetbay Magnolia
Little Gem Magnolia
Saucer MagnoliaAll drawn to the same scale.