With a name that calls to mind cuddly childhood toys, it’s hard not to love the Teddy Bear magnolia.
This Southern magnolia cultivar, which was found as a chance seedling, derives its moniker from the deep rusty brown, fuzzy undersides of its glossy, green leaves. But there’s a lot more to like about this tree than its adorable name and teddy bear-esque leaf texture.
One of its most delightful attributes is its compact form — offering a perfect solution for those of us who enjoy Southern magnolias but don’t have the yard space to accommodate traditional, sprawling cultivars.
Classic Southern magnolias can eventually grow to 40 feet to 50 feet tall and 20 feet to 30 feet wide. In some urban developments, the spread of a mature magnolia tree would take up nearly the entire width of the lot.
Teddy Bear, by contrast, is much smaller. Some reports indicate it can reach 18 to 20 feet in height, but 12 feet is more typical. The width, however, is the bigger key for gardeners working with limited room — and Teddy Bear usually maxes out at just 10 to 12 feet wide.
This cultivar looks great as a single planting for a focal area of the yard. Thanks to its especially dense growth habit, Teddy Bear also is ideal for privacy screens. Plant several of these trees in a line, and they’ll grow together into a living fence that blocks outside views while providing superb aesthetics and wildlife habitat.
Just like other Southern magnolias, Teddy Bear displays large, white, lemon-fragranced blooms in late spring and summer. It sports that trademark magnolia foliage that is shiny on one side and velvety on the other — though Teddy Bear’s leaves have a rounder shape and more pronounced reddish-brown undersides than many cultivars. Southern magnolias, of course, are native to Louisiana and are the state flower.
If you’re interested in checking out other compact Southern magnolia cultivars, try Little Gem, a Louisiana Super Plant selection, and Kay Parris. These tend to grow a bit taller than Teddy Bear, but both keep a narrower profile that works well in small spaces.
91 AgCenter horticulturists recommend planting trees from October to March while temperatures are cooler, giving trees time to establish before summer weather conditions set in. That doesn’t mean you can’t still plant magnolias — but know that it will be absolutely crucial to keep them well watered in the coming weeks and months. Newly planted trees without established root systems are more susceptible to heat and drought stress.