Magnolia grandiflora 'KAY PARRIS' southern magnolia, bull bay

Evergreen - bull bay magnolias are the queens of flowering trees. We choose the most beautiful and at the same time the hardiest varieties. Ever since Little Gem bull bay magnolia appeared in European market, it has been a sought after variety ever since. Though, not everyone could grow this jewel since its hardiness finished in zone 7 (down to -17°C only). Therefore it is obvious that when a new variety called Kay Parris was introduced many more magnolia lovers got the chance of having a compact variety with increased hardiness.

Kay Parris is a compact growing form of bull bay magnolia that originated in South Carolina, USA, in 1991. It was bred by Kevin Parris. It produces beautiful, white, heavily scented, large flowers – 20-25 cm across. They open from the first hot days of June and keep showing up until early September if the plant is old enough to produce flower buds. Each flower last for 1-3 days only, but they open continuously to keep the shrub decorated for almost 3 months. The leaves are evergreen, leathery, broadly elliptic, rich green and glossy, and covered with rusty indumentum on the undersides.

It grows into a medium-large shrub or a small tree of compact, oval shape. Young plants benefit from pruning in the first 2-3 years in order to achieve a dense framework of bottom branches. Bull bay magnolias need fertile, preferably acid soil and plenty of sun to flower reliably. Keep them mulched at all times and follow a regular watering schedule especially when the plants are young. Older plants have deep roots and absorb a lot of air humidity as well, but still, never let their soil dry out completely. Kay Parris magnolia is hardy to about -24°C (USDA zone 6).

Last update 23-03-2013