We have two magnolia tree... - Ask Extension
We have two magnolia trees. Right now they both have pink to red color fruits all over the trees. We have not see these fruits before as I remembered....
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We have two magnolia tree... #153673
Asked September 21, 2013, 10:38 AM EDT
We have two magnolia trees. Right now they both have pink to red color fruits all over the trees. We have not see these fruits before as I remembered. Should I do anything about it? Should I pick them up? Your advise is greatly appreciated!
Washington County Minnesota
Expert Response
Magnolia fruits are reddish and open to expose bright
red-orange seeds in fall. The fruit is attractive to wildlife. You may prune them off or leave them for
wildlife.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h466magnolias.html
Thank you very much for your response. It really helped and I have one more question - which one (prune the fruits off or leave them) is better for the tree flower blooming next year?
Thank you,
Yihong
Thank you,
Yihong
The advantage of
removing old flowers and is to prevent seed production. Old flowers take
energy from overall plant growth and can be a source of
re-seeding. Deadheading should occur shortly after flowering. It is difficult to know how much energy is saved when the fruits are pruned when they are almost mature. The colorful fruits are an interesting fall characteristic of this shrub like tree. Some sources mention collecting and saving the seed for plant propagation. Finally birds will eat the seed if the plants are not pruned.
Thank you so much for your response. Now I know what to do. We had flowers every year but this fall is the first time seeing the fruits. Thank you again.