If you’re looking for an impressive flowering tree to brighten your garden the Southern Magnolia is hard to beat. Elegant, evergreen and a native US species, Magnolia grandiflora is a popular choice among horticulturalists. It does have one limitation though – it’s a warm-weather tree that can’t reliably survive the winter in much of the USA, especially the Midwest. If that’s put you off adding one of these beautiful trees to your garden it might be time for a rethink! Bracken’s Brown Beauty is a tough cultivar of the classic magnolia that extends the species’ range several hundred miles to the north, and allows you to enjoy its looks across a much wider swathe of the country. More compact than the standard variety but still large enough to make an imposing tree, Bracken’s is also a perfect choice for mid-size to smaller gardens. If you’ve been hesitating about planting a magnolia, your wait is over!
