AWE-INSPIRING YELLOW BLOOMS TO BRIGHTEN YOUR LANDSCAPE
FEATURES:
- Large and fragrant, sunshine yellow flowers bloom in mid to late spring
- Dark green leaves adorn the branches while the tree blooms, turning a bright yellow in fall
- Perfect for narrow locations and small yards
- Fashionably late to the party, this Magnolia needn't be concerned about late frosts
- Makes a wonderful focal point or window tree
- Hand selected fresh from our grower
Growth Facts
- Hardiness Zone: 5-8
- Mature Height: 20-25' tall
- Mature Width: 6-8' wide
- Exposure: Full Sun/Part Shade
- Spacing: 8-10' apart
Sunsation Magnolia
Bower & Branch Trees and Plants
Magnolia x 'Sunsation'
Regular price
Plant with Confidence when choosing Big & Tall Trees and Hedges!
AWE-INSPIRING YELLOW BLOOMS TO BRIGHTEN YOUR LANDSCAPE
FEATURES:
- Large and fragrant, sunshine yellow flowers bloom in mid to late spring
- Dark green leaves adorn the branches while the tree blooms, turning a bright yellow in fall
- Perfect for narrow locations and small yards
- Fashionably late to the party, this Magnolia needn't be concerned about late frosts
- Makes a wonderful focal point or window tree
- Hand selected fresh from our grower
Growth Facts
- Hardiness Zone: 5-8
- Mature Height: 20-25' tall
- Mature Width: 6-8' wide
- Exposure: Full Sun/Part Shade
- Spacing: 8-10' apart
Why plant Sunsation Magnolia?
Outrageous! Sunsation Magnolia will be a traffic-stopper in your landscape in spring. Brakes will squeal as gawkers stop to get a better look. “What kind of tree covers itself in huge (seven-inch) yellow flowers?” they’ll wonder. Sunsation becomes even more fascinating upon closer inspection, when you notice the rosy-pink brushstroke at the base of each creamy yellow petal. The color combo is unexpected but lovely. Unlike many spring-blooming Magnolias, Sunsation rarely gets zapped by late frosts. It blooms later than most, almost always avoiding subfreezing temperatures. You can depend on it to put on a stellar performance!
Dr. August “Augie” Kerr was a passionate plantsman who worked for Louisiana State University, Iowa State, and finally, the USDA, in Beltsville, Maryland. He worked on breeding projects to produce better onions, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, as well as many ornamental plants. In 1978, Dr. Kerr retired to North Carolina and continued to breed plants on his own time. One of his major interests was Magnolias, and since his new home sat in a frost pocket, he was especially interested in breeding later-flowering types. Sunsation Magnolia was one of his most remarkable achievements to this end. The tree was introduced in 2000.
How to use Sunsation Magnolia in the landscape?
Sunsation waits until it’s safe to flower, which means that the leaves are emerging when the blossoms appear. However, the foliage is not yet fully expanded at that time, so the flashy flowers are not hidden. Your view of the show will be unimpeded!
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 5-8
How To Plant Sunsation Magnolia
Give your Sunsation Magnolia a sunny spot in a well-drained site, and it will be happy. A rich, organic, slightly acid soil will result in the best growth. Like most Magnolia Trees, Sunsation dislikes both very wet and very dry conditions, so plant it a couple of inches above grade to improve drainage, and supply it with regular water, especially during the first year or two of establishment. A generous layer of mulch will help in regulating soil moisture levels as well as evening out root zone temperatures. Sunsation requires little pruning.
How To Water
Sunsation Magnolia will appreciate regular water during its first few years in the ground and irrigation during long dry spells after it’s established.
How To Fertilize
Incorporate Elements Starter Plant food granular form into the soil when planting. If planting in spring or summer, start fertilizing late fall using Elements Starter Plant food granular form on an annual basis each late fall. Continue this for the first three years to get your plant well established.
How To Prune
Prune late spring to early summer to be able to enjoy the flowers each spring. Not much pruning work required, very low maintenance.
Frequently Asked Questions
As the Sunsation Magnolia will only be about 6-8 feet wide when full grown, it is safe to say that the root system will only be that wide as well.
Bower & Branch has no concerns with Magnolias in terms of root challenges. As Magnolia roots are large and close to the surface, they give the impression that they will cause damage to foundations, sidewalks, and other features of your hardscape. While their surface roots look daunting, they are, in fact, passive as Magnolia roots are relatively soft and fleshy compared to other trees.
There is little data, other than opinion and myth, that support any concerns with Magnolia roots causing damage and we strongly encourage that you plant with confidence!
2. There is an opinion that it is better not to replant Magnolia trees from one place to the other because if the roots are damaged, it won't survive. What is your opinion and knowledge on this?
Bower & Branch plants Magnolia, harvested from field growing operations, on a regular basis. In all of our years of experience, we have never experienced a failure of planting when moving Magnolia from growing fields to landscapes. We believe this to be a very small concern when the trees are harvested, handled, and planted well! Plant confidently, handle well, and care appropriately and you won't have any issues!
How Does Shipping Work?
Bower & Branch Trees, the real BIG trees, don’t fit in a box! Our big trees, sizes XL and bigger, require expert delivery and care, that means our extra-large trees are shipped on Bower & Branch trucks. We are the only ones who know how to ship our big and bigger trees and plants with tender loving care. We deliver your trees and plants directly to you. Ask Bower & Branch about planting services – we'd be happy to assist in installation.
*For Big trees and Shrubs, Size XL and bigger: Review our Seasonal Shipping Timelines and Policy here.
Your trees and plants are grown across the United States at various Bower & Branch Growers. Depending on your location, your plant orders may be shipped from various locations. Please expect orders with multiple items to be delivered over a number of days as a result. Orders made up of numerous items or selections will not arrive at your home on the same day.
Shipping Delays:
From time to time, Bower & Branch Growers may determine to delay order shipment based on various factors for plant health. Weather in your region, as well as, where your plants are grown, is always considered when shipping. Extreme weather conditions may delay some or all of your order. Bower & Branch allows our Growers to make final shipping decisions based solely to benefit your trees and plants’ health and success.
How Does Sizing Work?
The size of our trees have nothing to do with the container size like you may find elsewhere–big doesn't mean just height - it’s also vigor, age, and overall health. Other online retailers are going to tell you that a plant is a seven gallon, that means nothing to your tree or plant (or you.)
Our trees for sale online are graded on large, x-large, and even bigger sizes. This is because our trees are sized by their age—the higher the letter, the more mature the tree. The age determines the trees’ overall height, size of the trunk and the overall branch density.
All of these characteristics are what you should be looking for when choosing a tree for immediate impact and instant curb appeal. Our extra-large tree and plant sizes are sure to wow you and your neighbors!
See the size guides below.
Our Guarantees
3-YEAR-TREE GUARANTEE:
Bower & Branch offers a Three-Year Tree Guarantee on all of our trees, sizes X-Large and up. Only the finest and the most experienced growers are awarded the opportunity to grow for Bower & Branch, so we offer the best guarantee available.
If your tree(s) should fail for any reason during the three-year guarantee period, you will receive an online gift card in the amount that you originally spent on the tree.* You can then use this online gift card for any Bower & Branch Purchase.
* Bower & Branch provides online gift cards in the amount of the original purchase price of the tree(s). The amount does not include any additional costs such as delivery, planting, tax, or any other products or services. Online gift cards can be applied towards any Bower & Branch purchase on BowerandBranch.com and have no expiration dates. Bower & Branch does not guarantee tree replacement or availability of any desired product at any time. Cash refunds are not offered. Bower & Branch requires that all original tags and receipts are present when a guarantee request is initiated. The Bower & Branch Three-Year Guarantee only applies to plant material that has been planted in the ground. Container plantings are NOT covered.
At Bower & Branch, we do our best to honor all guarantee fulfillment requests to ensure customer satisfaction. However, we reserve the right to refuse the request if the required guarantee steps were not satisfied. Bower & Branch also reserves the right to deny any guarantee fulfillment request that is made as a result of animal damage, problems with plant hardiness and zone issues, or acts of nature (snow storms, hurricanes, and similar).
Reach out to a Plant Whisperer with any questions:
- Email: plantwhisperers@bowerandbranch.com
- Phone: 866-873-3888
- Or via Online Chat
Customer Reviews
A beautiful, tall healthy tree, far bigger than I anticipated. Looking forward to next spring!
The two Sunsation Magnolia trees arrived on the truck and were bigger than expected around 9-10 feet tall!!!
Great looking healthy specimens. Can’t wait to see them in the Spring.
Hi Neil!
WE can't wait for you to see them in Spring! Those blooms are stunning :)
Thank you for your very kind review - we truly appreciate it! If you ever have any questions regarding your trees, please don't hesitate to reach out! We hope you enjoy them for YEARS to come!
- Bower & Branch Plant Whisperers
