City living can be smelly, hot, and offer a lack of privacy! A magnolia tree is the perfect addition to your city dwelling. They don't grow too big, about 30', with an annual growth rate of 1’-3' tall and wide. Magnolia’s have a small, non-invasive root system (making them perfect for raised beds, or for underground pipes). They provide wonderful, full shade all summer long from silky green leaves, providing privacy from your neighbors or the street. Magnolia trees also emit a fabulous perfume-y fragrance when in bloom (btws, magnolia trees can take up to 15 yrs to bloom!).

Magnolias have a pretty cool history too. Historians date magnolia fossils back to the dinosaur age and one tree can be known to live for over a century! I live in Pittsburgh, PA, in hardiness zone 4-5, making the Magnolia tree awesome for this climate, but they obvy thrive really well in the south. 

My neighbors (who we share a party wall with) have a magnolia tree and it's such a wonderful addition to our backyard and I recently decided to propagate the tree. Following bloom season (usually from June - August), the pods develop bright red berries that can be cultivated and grown into magnolia trees.

Below’s the start of my journey propagating Magnolia Trees

How To Grow A Magnolia Tree From Seed

1. Harvest red berries

   Following bloom season (usually August), pods with bright red seeds will fall from the tree. Collects as many bright red seeds as you’d like to propagate.

   I've collected seeds from both my neighbors magnolia tree (big white blossoms, assuming 10-15 yrs age) and from my parents (no blossoms yet, assuming 5-10 yrs age). I think my parents tree will have pink or purple blossoms because the pods are a deep pink.

2. SOAK SEEDS OVERNIGHT

   Peel off red fleshy, berry coating and soak the dark seeds in water overnight.

3. EXFOLIATE SEEDS

   I used a wire mesh strainer to exfoliate the seeds. The goal is to remove the black coating on the seed. I didn’t have too much success removing the outer coating.

4. MIX seeds with sand

   Mix the seeds, sand (Play Sand - Lowes.com) and enough water to keep the seeds fairly moist throughout the winter.

5. REFRIGERATe seeds over WINTER

   Place seeds in the back of your refrigerator for the winter or 3 months.

I will update you on next steps come Spring 2019!