Apricots in the Kitchen Crisp Apricot Bars Apricot Cobbler Grilled Maple-Butter Apricots Apricot Pie Apricot Chicken Should I Grow An Apricot Tree, and Which One? The Royal Apricot Tree The Chinese Apricot Tree The Tilton Apricot Tree Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m really craving an apricot right now!”? It’s rare, we’ll admit it. However, we think they deserve the spotlight as they are unique, delectable, and certainly underrated! We know for a fact that those who do eat apricots, LOVE them--you should too! This awesome fruit has been around for thousands of years. They originated in China during 2000 B.C. Quickly, they traveled to every continent except Antarctica (we feel bad for the penguins, they’d probably enjoy apricots). This tasty fruit grows on beautiful trees that start to bloom in early spring. The flowers on the trees range from white to pinks, making a gorgeous welcome for the spring and summer growing seasons. The apricots themselves usually appear during the summer months, being a refreshing, healthy snack during those hot days. There are dozens of apricot varieties! The popular ones being: Goldcot Autumn Glo Golden Sweet Wenatchee Chinese All their trees have different climates and needs so everyone can enjoy having their own to grow. They have the same qualities as other fan-favorite fruits! They have golden skin ranging from more yellow to orange. The sun reflects on their skin, causing a red blush. A few types of apricots get red dots speckled all over their sunkissed side. Their skin is velvety and delicate. And like a peach, there is a subtle “suture” that runs down the side of the apricot. To add to their cuteness, they are usually a small fruit. Many people enjoy eating this brightly colored fruit multiple at a time. The taste of an apricot is fun and unique! It has a mouthwatering sweet and tart flavor--some say it’s like a cross between a peach and plum. They’re filled with just the right amount of juice, as it is not too much or too little! Other than the taste being amazing, the health benefits never end. They are a great source of vitamin A and C. The calorie count is low too, making them a harmless snack during the day! There is no saturated fat, which is even better!  Apricots in the Kitchen Of course, when apricots are pulled right off all the fruit trees, the fresh flavor is hard to beat. They’re to die for when fresh! Put them in a salad for a sweet kick, or serve them with all kinds of fruits (They’ll be the star of the show, though)! Eating dried apricots is also popular! These become a golden brown color unless treated with sulfur dioxide, which then turns them bright orange. They are great for an afternoon energy boost! They are rich in fiber, iron, potassium, along with still being a great source of vitamin A and C. Cooking and baking with apricots adds a wonderful flavor you didn’t think was possible. Here are our 5 favorite foods made with this underrated fruit. The overall taste will wow you! Crisp Apricot Bars Talk about a dessert everyone will unexpectedly love! Fresh apricots are mixed with cinnamon sugar and brown sugar, then laid between the tasty streusel crust. They store very well, making it the perfect snack that will last a few weeks! Apricot Cobbler Cobblers are known for being a comforting and delicious dessert. The mix of cinnamon and nutmeg flavors combined with the fresh apricots create a whirlwind of amazing flavor. Top it with whipped cream and you have a masterpiece! Grilled Maple-Butter Apricots This is the perfect topping for ice cream! Simply grill the apricots and apply the syrupy mixture as they cook. Butter, Vanilla, and Maple Syrup is a fantastic, sweet flavor to pair with cold, refreshing ice cream.  Apricot Pie You can’t go wrong with putting fruit in a pie. Lightly doused with cinnamon, the apricot filling is the perfect sweet tooth recovery. This pie isn’t overpoweringly sweet for your taste buds, which means you can add ice cream with no guilt! Apricot Chicken Apricots are used in multiple ways in this sweet and savory meal. Apricot sauce is cooked with the chicken. Then, add chopped apricots to make an inviting plate of food! Pair it with green beans for an extremely healthy, tasty, and colorful meal! Should I Grow An Apricot Tree, and Which One? Of course! Life is simply better with a fruit tree in your backyard. There are many different kinds of apricot trees, and one of them is perfect for you! They all love locations with full sun! However, depending on the certain tree, the zones they can grow in differ. We’ll look at a few different options. The Royal Apricot Tree The Royal Apricot Tree (Prunus armeniaca ‘Blenheim Royal’) is calling your name! This tree might as well have a crown on top. It has beautiful green foliage starting in early spring to fall. During the spring, it displays small white flowers speckled across the tree that later get replaced by the Royal Apricot. This tree is perfect for those in growing zones 7-10. Plant your apricot trees in the sun! They love the sun. In addition, they have a low chilling requirement of 400 or fewer chill hours. Another added bonus of this royal tree is that it’s self-pollinating (it even produces larger crops when you have more than one variety). They produce fruit and they ripen during mid-June--a perfect time to have a refreshing snack! This is an easier fruit tree, as it is very adaptable to different soil types and moisture levels. If you’re in the right growing zone and don’t want too much work (other than pruning and watering), this is the tree for you! The Chinese Apricot Tree The Chinese Apricot Tree (Prunus armeniaca ‘Chinese’) is a frost-resistant, beautiful tree. The pink-hued, white flowers are gorgeous with a dark green leaf background. The one offered at Nature Hills is an adorable dwarf tree, being 15-20 feet tall. This tree is perfect for those in zones 5-9. This is a tough tree, being very frost-resistant. It requires 700 chill hours to bloom like you’ve never seen before. This is also self-pollinating and if you get more than one variety, it can produce larger crops! Its fruits have a sweet mild flavor, being one of the world’s favorites. The tree is shaped magically, as they reach upward and canopy over the ground. This tree is also very adaptable to different soil types and moisture levels. If you want a mystic-looking fruit tree, this one's for you. The Golden Sweet Apricot Tree The Golden Sweet Apricot Tree (Prunus x ‘Golden Sweet’) is known for having sweet, flavorful apricots. Its emerald green leaves complement the golden fruit. It can grow up to 18 feet tall, being a perfect size. This tree is great for those in growing zones 5-8. Lucky for the crazy climate folks, this tree is frost-resistant. They also require 400-500 chill hours to properly flourish!  They aren’t picky on soil types, but do love to be watered regularly. This tree is self-pollinating and produces larger crops with another apricot tree! They produce the tasty fruit later in the season--right in time for the hottest month of the year. Take a relaxer under the shade of this beautiful tree. If you’re looking for a magnificent fruit tree to increase your curb appeal, the Golden Sweet is for you. Take a chance, explore the world of apricots! It will be your favorite fruit, tree, and cooking ingredient! Learn why Apricots are one of the most underrated fruits and a few of the best ways to use them. You’ll want an Apricot tree of your own after reading! Happy Planting!

If you have joined us for our other blogs within our Regional Series, you know the perks, advantages and reasons behind growing native plants or selections of native plants in a landscape However, if this is your first rodeo, native plants hold several benefits from being easier to grow to providing beneficial resources to pollinators! These special plants have adapted to the soil conditions and climate within a certain area. A superpower that they take pride in and one you should take advantage of! Last, but certainly not least in our ‘Regional Series’ blog post is the Eastern region! It's been a long time coming, but today we will be highlighting our top 5 native plant picks for the Eastern growing zones. Sugar Maple New England Aster American Cranberrybush Viburnum Cole's Select Serviceberry American Beech Tree If you do not know where you fall in our regional series, the map shown below gives you an idea of the area we will be covering today. For those of you who reside in the blue area, these native plants will be prime gardening choices! Sugar Maple | Acer saccharum A Sugar Maple tree is known for its incredible orange and red-orange, maybe even a few yellow, fall colors. This tree is almost the definition of the autumn season and the holiday of Halloween. Across the East, you will find rows of Sugar Maples in yards, alongside roads and more likely than not, in tree farms. This native deciduous tree has been, to no surprise, a primary source for tasty maple syrup for over 300 years! Imagine draining the sap and boiling it down to maple syrup that can be shared with family and friends at yearly events. The compliments of homemade syrup will never end! Its large oval to rounded crown shape and straight, sturdy bark make for the ideal landscape accent too. Not to mention, it also provides shade for those summer days, but it also can be grown in partial shade. This native tree is truly unmatched! Quick Care Tips: With maple tree roots, be sure to give it plenty of space to spread. We suggest not planting it near any type of concrete.Read our maple tree roots blog for more insider information. A Sugar Maple appreciates loose, slightly acidic soils in big open lawn areas or parks best. SHOP NOW New England Aster | Aster novae-angliae For a lovely perennial that doubles as a native wildflower, check out the New England Aster Normally it can be found near streams or low-lying meadows, but the blue-violet blooms that peak through are to not be ignored in a garden. We suggest adding it to a butterfly garden since as soon as it is established, monarch butterflies and other pollinators will be its greatest fans. Pitch a seat to watch the forever ongoing nature show! Or, place it near the back of a native flower garden or behind a few small flowering bushes. It stands tall so being seen in the back won’t be an issue. Quick Care Tips: It does well in both full sun and partial shade. The New England Aster prefers being established in well-draining soil. SHOP NOW American Cranberrybush Viburnum | Viburnum trilobum The East provides the cool soils and moisture that the classic American Cranberrybush Viburnum needs. This larger scale native shrub is a favorite of many because of the many interests it brings to the garden. In the spring, you’ll enjoy flat topped white flowers before they switch into red berries that provide decor in the fall. This persistent fruit can hang into winter or until the birds take them! Most growers will pick them to use in homemade jams and jellies! Not only will the berries be crimson, but the dark green leaves flow into a purplish-red tint too as it completes the autumn ensemble! Quick Care Tips: It prefers well-drained soils that have a higher moisture content than the average. However, it is still a hardy shrub that is easy to grow overall. Perform a renewal pruning every few years by removing the old branches and keeping the young branches for flowers and fruit. SHOP NOW Cole's Select Serviceberry | Amelanchier x grandiflora 'Cole's Select' A Cole’s Select Serviceberry withholds 4 seasons of interest that keep your yard looking fresh year long. In the summer, blueberry-like fruit will develop upon the green foliage. These are what we like to call juneberries! The local songbirds will appreciate the food source of tasty fruit you have supplied! As the leaves fall leading up to the winter season, a grey smooth bark is revealed. This decorative accent will be the star of the cold months. Quick Care Tips: Place this native serviceberry in an area that will receive full sun. It performs the best when baking in the sunlight! However, it will tolerate shade and urban areas. It is widely adaptable to all soil conditions! SHOP NOW American Beech Tree | Fagus grandifolia Growing an American Beech tree is sure to be one of the best landscaping choices you’ll make! This outstanding, well-known native tree offers visual interests and value when planted. The summer comes with dark green leaves followed by coppery-gold foliage in the fall. Winter forces these leaves to fade to the ground and shows off the smooth gray bark underneath. Many say that it’s the best firewood out there; however, we advise against this as the American Beech is a splendid garden accent to possess. Upon reaching maturity, your native tree will produce the triangular Beech nut known for its fame to wildlife and people. Don’t be surprised if squirrels are always paying you a visit. Quick Care Tips: Plant in full or partial shade as this tree does not like to bake in the light all day! We suggest planting them near a larger tree. It will need well-draining soil that has the ability to maintain a good moisture level as well. Adding in a layer of mulch over the roots and watering in times of drought will help with this! SHOP NOW It’s a no brainer when it comes to deciding on native plants to add to a Eastern landscape! These 5 will flow to the top. But the real decision is whether to plant one or plant them all! A few, or several, natives never hurt anybody. If you missed out on any part of our ‘Regional Series’ blogs, read the best native plants for the South , West and North today! Happy gardening!

What makes a great front yard shrub? Is it the flowers, foliage, growth habit, height, or some combination of all characteristics? Before answering this question, you have to ask yourself what exactly you’re looking for in a front yard shrub. If you’ve just moved into a newly built house, you might be starting with a blank canvas but if you’re looking to fill up a particular spot, some shrubs will work better than others. Table of Contents Evaluate Your Site (& Zone!) Determine the Shrub Size You’re Looking For Height Amount 5 Great Front Yard Shrub Options 1: Bluebeard 2: Potentilla 3: Heavenly Bamboo 4: St. John’s Wort 5: Weigela Evaluate Your Site (& Zone!) You can pick the most conventionally pretty shrubs on the market, but if your front yard doesn’t fit their ideal growing conditions, you’ll be left with wilty--and sometimes dead--plants. Evaluate how much sun the area you’re working with gets. Full sun shrubs ARE NOT the same as full shade shrubs. Don’t get discouraged if you were hoping for a full sun paradise and find you have a shady area instead. Both can be gorgeous when approached with creativity and an open mind! Next, you’ll need to figure out what kind of soil you’re dealing with. It’s a good guess that any shrub you’re dealing with will prefer well-drained soil. However, always read our #ProPlantTips info for each plant to see its specific care instructions. If you aren’t sure how to figure out the drainage or are looking for ideas on what to do with soggy beds, check out our Well-Drained Blog. Last but not least, figure out your growing zone. Some plants are hardy enough to withstand -20 degree winters but some aren’t and we’d hate for you to install a line of new shrubs just to find out next spring that they didn’t make it. Learn your growing zone by typing your zip code into our Growing Zone Calculator located just above the plant facts on each product page. Determine the Shrub Size You’re Looking For This is a bit twofold. Understanding how tall the shrubs you're looking for will need to be at maturity will help narrow down the search from countless to manageable. Then, once you know the size, you can go about figuring out how many you’ll need. Height Are your windows 3 feet off the ground? Great! You’re looking for shrubs that max out at three feet tall so you don’t have to worry about it covering up your views. Is the spot you’re hoping to fill only two feet wide? Perfect! If you’re on our site make sure to use the filters along the left to see only shrubs that’ll fit in that two-foot spot. Of course, you can always buy larger shrubs and keep them in check with pruning. If you’d like to go this route, make sure to check that the shrub responds well to pruning. Amount When push comes to shove, this is a personal preference. However, we will say the professionals usually stick to the rule of planting in threes. This means using three of a kind and spacing out so one is in the middle of where you’re trying to fill and the other two are equally spaced out on either side. There are a number of reasons why this is done. One is that it gives a natural center, and thus, a focal point. Another is that odd numbers look more natural than even numbers. The amount of space you’re working with will help determine which odd number you go with (3, 5, or evn 7)! Landscaping is a fascinating area of study, and if you’d like to dive deeper into the rule of planting in threes, read our blog on it here. 5 Great Front Yard Shrub Options Now, finding your own front yard-worthy shrubs is a great option, but if you’re looking for a ready-made list to pick from, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled our five favorite shrub types for front yard landscaping and would love to share them with you. 1: Bluebeard A shrub with pale purplish-blue flowers in the late summer that are attractive to multitudes of pollinators, Bluebeard makes a fantastic addition to your landscape. Ranging in height from 30 inches to 4 feet, there is a shrub that fits every space. Try 'Lil Miss Sunshine' for magenta blooms and a shorter height, or 'Sapphire Surf' for a larger shrub with dark green foliage and royal purple flowers. Best planted in zones 5-9, Bluebeard will stand out and add color to your landscape while providing a tasty snack to the local pollinators. #ProPlantTips for Care Loves Heat and Full Sun Prune Hard in Early Spring Plant in Well Draining Soil   Customer Favorites: Dark Knight Bluebeard Blue Mist Bluebeard Arthur J. Simmonds Bluebeard SHOP NOW   2: Potentilla Flowering in early summer and lasting through fall, shrubby cinquefoil is a low-maintenance shrub that will thrive in a sunny front yard. Small, five-petal flowers range in color from pink to yellow to white on top of lush green leaves. Native to the Northern Hemisphere, this type of shrub is easy to grow and requires minimal care. It is pest and disease free, which means one less thing for you to worry about in your garden! This flowering shrub will bring pollinators to your garden from near and far. It adds to the thrill of your garden and your other flowers will appreciate the boost in pollinators. Snag a couple of these for yourself before they’re gone! #ProPlantTips for Care Full Sun Prune in the Early Spring Use Mulch to Protect Roots and Conserve Water   Customer Favorites: Goldfinger Potentilla Goldstar Potentilla McKays White Potentilla SHOP NOW   3: Heavenly Bamboo Heavenly Bamboo, unlike its name suggests, is not in the bamboo family. Rather, Nandina domestica is a deciduous shrub in northern climates and evergreen in the south with soft, lace-like green foliage. Depending on the variety you choose, these shrubs may also sport red foliage in the fall and produce red berries into winter. The local wildlife will go crazy for the early winter snack. Make sure to read the Plant Facts when browsing. Some varieties will work in a wide range of zones, like Compact Heavenly Bamboo while others are for a more specific region, like Lemon Lime Nandina. If you live in a drier area, check for the drought-tolerant varieties. #ProPlantTips for Care Full Sun to Partial Shade Prune in Late Winter Plant in Well-Drained Soils   Customer Favorites: Compact Heavenly Bamboo Blush Pink™ Nandina Lemon Lime Nandina SHOP NOW   4: St. John’s Wort A plant with its fair share of names, St. John’s Wort goes by Hypericum botanically. Although some know it as Goatweed, Aarons’ Beard, or even Tipton’s Weed, it’s referred to most as St. John’s Wort or Hypericum. This shrub dons gorgeous clusters of white flowers in the summer, however, we offer varieties that burst into yellow as well. You’ll find many of these shrubs can be used as ground cover but at 1-2 feet tall, many of them work well as front yard shrubs. St. John’s Wort is an evergreen shrub in warmer climates with interest lasting all year long. In colder climates, it’ll come back as a perennial does. #ProPlantTips Full Sun to Partial Shade Needs Well Drained Soil Prune in Early Spring While Dormant   Customer Favorites: Sunburst St Johns Wort Sunny Boulevard® St. John's Wort Beauty™ St. John's Wort SHOP NOW   5: Weigela It’s hard to go wrong with a pink flowering shrub as a foundation plant. These Asian natives have won the hearts of countless gardeners for their profuse spring and summer blooms along with their wide variety of foliage colors. While pink is a popular weigela color, you’ll also find them in white, yellow, red, and purple. Once the flowers are done, you’ll be enchanted by the variegated leaves of My Monet® Weigela or the near-black foliage of Tuxedo™ Weigela through summer and fall. The bell-shaped flowers are a perfect late-season source of nectar for your local pollinators-especially hummingbirds! Add a dramatic dash of color to your front yard landscaping with a weigela or two. #ProPlantTips for Care Does Well in Full Sun & Part Shade Prune After First Round of Blooms are Done if Needed Plant Somewhere With Good Air Circulation   Other impressive cultivars: My Monet® Weigela Tuxedo™ Weigela Snippet™ Dark Pink Weigela SHOP NOW Use the five plant families above to build your front yard garden around, or continue browsing NatureHills.com for more inspiration. The important thing is to make sure your garden represents the plants you love! Have more questions? Check with your local extension office to learn which shrubs work best in your region or chat with our Plant Experts for help locating the perfect plant on our site. We made a list of our top shrubs for front yards, watch now! Happy Gardening!

Welcome back to our ‘Regional Blog Series!’ We’ve highlighted the top 5 native plants for the South and then those for the West. Well North and Midwest, it is your time to shine! Adding native plants to a landscape has been a must for a majority of gardeners. Their ability to easily adapt to the climate of an area makes them special. Listed within this blog are the top 5 native plant picks for the North and Midwest regions. You’ll want to add them to your garden! Bailey Red Twigged Dogwood American Sentry Linden Black Chokeberry Showy Goldenrod Red Switch Grass Not sure where your garden falls in terms of regions? The orange area below is the North and Midwest area that will be the best home for these natives. Bailey Red Twigged Dogwood | Cornus sericea 'Baileyi' You may have seen the infamous red branches meandered throughout the whole North and Midwest region. Wherever there is good moisture that is! The Bailey Red Twigged Dogwood is an excellent selection of this native shrub that has too many visual interests to count. In the spring, white flowers in clusters will engulf this dogwood and bring pollinating butterflies to your garden. Towards the end of summer you’ll start to notice small blue berries, which will more often than not be eaten up by a few song birds. However, those features are not the star of the show when it comes to the Bailey Red Twigged Dogwood, as you can guess from the name. After it drops its leaves during fall, this native reveals fire-engine red branches! A fall color that cannot be ignored. Once the winter frost and snow establishes itself, these red stems will look incredible. Some individuals opt for cutting them for Christmas decor, while others leave them be to make the outside weather feel less dreary. Whatever it may be, this native dogwood is sure to knock your socks off! Quick Care Tips: To receive the best color, place it in a full sun area! However, it will still flourish in partial shade as well. This shrub will tolerate a variety of soils, even wet soil. But it likes to have the acidic level between 6.0 and 6.5. SHOP NOW American Sentry Linden | Tilia americana 'McKSentry' The American Sentry Linden is a prime selection of this native option for a wonderful shade tree. However, it also has quite a few visual interests to offer too! Its mid-size allows for it to fit easily in large landscapes while not being too big for a small yard. Wherever established, the pyramidal shape with smooth gray bark will pop! The clusters of spicy scented flowers in late spring on the American Sentry will begin to attract pollinators. In fact, bees use this native tree to make the incredibly flavored Basswood Honey! Then during the fall, its autumn magic starts to kick in as the leaves take on a brilliant yellow color. Quick Care Tips: This shade tree loves to be in a rural environment and will even tolerate periods of dry and wet. However, it can be sensitive to areas with high amounts of pollution. Make sure that the area of establishment has good drainage soil. Even though the American Sentry will grow in wet and dry conditions, it thrives in well-drained soils. SHOP NOW Black Chokeberry | Aronia melanocarpa var.elata Be the new home to a classic native! It has become the newest “superfruit” that is easy to grow and process. The charming berries grown on the Black Chokeberry can be used for jam, and of course fruit and even for making wine. You’ll want to harvest them before the birds do however! The spring clusters of flowers are another favorite of this compact native shrub. The 5-petaled blossoms are an ivory white with a hint of pink highlights. Butterflies can’t get enough of them! Style this shrub as definition for the garden or line up several as a hedge. We enjoy planting them in our butterfly gardens too! Quick Care Tips: Fruit production will do best when planted in full sun! However, the Black Chokeberry can tolerate partial shade as well. Prune the oldest stems in early spring while leaving the thin, young stems to keep a natural form. This will also help bring back the fruit and flowers. SHOP NOW Showy Goldenrod | Solidago speciosa If you’re looking for a native ornamental grass, the Showy Goldenrod is a great option. It performs well in large low-maintenance gardens and wide open fields. However, the prairie favorite will show off on the corners of pathways, as a garden accent, or even nestled behind benches. The brightness of the yellow blossoms can make any dull landscape come alive! The sweet tasting nectar held within the bright yellow flowers are irresistible to butterflies floating nearby too. And the seeds make for a great food source for a variety of birds. You’ll have a pollinator party on your hands in no time! Quick Care Tips: Since this native is self-seeding, pluck off the wilting buds when possible. It will help create more bright yellow flowers. Place the Showy Goldenrod in an area that receives full sun. SHOP NOW Red Switch Grass | Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah' The best part of the Red Switch Grass is its ability to grow in just about any area. Dry, moist or even sandy soil will be tolerated by this known native. It doesn’t have a preference for the sun either, whether it be full or partial. You won’t find a plant much hardier than this! The vertical leaves will start off as a dark green shade, but by the time fall has rolled around, a burgundy red will engulf this grass fully. We wonder where it got its name! This native is normally used as a border in garden plantings, but it will stand out in mass plantings too. Driveways, ponds and porches are all great choices for planting where it will be appreciated. Quick Care Tips: This extremely hardy grass will do well in all types of soil. However, if the soil is a little too rich, it may flop a little bit. It can be planted in both full sun or areas that see shade here and there too. Trim the entire plant down to just a few inches each spring as all new foliage and seed heads develop from the roots each year. SHOP NOW You can’t go wrong with choosing any one of these prime native plants for the North and Midwest. But the best option yet is planting all of them! Create your very own native plant garden that is sure to thrive years upon years. Come back next week as we wrap up our Regional Series by highlighting the best native plants for the Eastern region. Happy gardening!

Magnolias. Oh, how they make the first weeks of spring shine! Coveted for their GORGEOUS flowers, these trees are staples in USDA growing zones 3-9.  Loving these trees and growing them are two different things though. Follow along as we cover the basics of keeping magnolia trees happy and healthy. How to Plant Magnolia Trees 1. Select Your Magnolia 2. Find the Right Site 3. Dig Your Hole 4. Remove Magnolia from Container 5. Place in Hole and Backfill With Soil 6. Water in Well and Mulch #ProPlantTips for Magnolia Tree Care Pay Attention to Watering Pruning Magnolias How to Plant Magnolia Trees 1. Select Your Magnolia Pick the right Magnolia variety that fits the space in your yard. There are magnolias that’ll work anywhere from zone 3 to zone 9 so be sure to check the Plant Highlights on every product page for the hardiness zone to ensure it will grow where you live. Take into consideration the area you’re hoping to plant in. If you’re working with more space, go with a Magnolia grown as a single stem. If you’re wanting to create a privacy screen, or are limited in space, try planting a Magnolia grown as a multi-stem. When ordering, make sure to check the plant size of your desired tree. This is where you’ll find multi-stemmed listed if it is being grown as one.  A few of our favorites are: Alexandrina Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana 'Alexandrina') Leonard Messel Magnolia (Magnolia x loebneri 'Leonard Messel') D.D. Blanchard Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora 'D.D. Blanchard') Ann Magnolia (Magnolia x 'Ann') 2. Find the Right Site Site your Magnolia in a spot that gets full sun or partial shade. While many of these trees are fairly cold-hardy, they’ll appreciate some protection from the chilly winter winds if possible.  It’s important that the soil you are planting in drains well. If it doesn’t drain well, consider raising the planting area by adding more soil in a raised berm or raised planting bed to improve drainage. Good drainage is required to make Magnolias work. Not sure if you’ve got ideal growing conditions? Check out our blog on all things well-drained soil! 3. Dig Your Hole Bareroot Magnolias should be planted in the early spring but container-grown trees can be successfully planted throughout the growing season.  You’ll want to dig your hole as deep as the roots--NO deeper--and twice as wide to allow the root ball some space to grow once planted.  4. Remove Magnolia from Container Once you’ve got a good-looking hole dug, grab your tree and carefully remove it from the container it’s in. Once it’s free, gently tease the roots to facilitate new growth. This might change the height of the root ball, we highly suggest placing your plant--without the container--in the hole to measure one last time. Don’t be afraid to set your tree aside for a couple of minutes to adjust the size of the hole.  One of the quickest ways to tick off a new tree is to plant it too deep or not deep enough! 5. Place in Hole and Backfill With Soil Once you’ve determined the hole is the correct size, go ahead and place the tree and backfill with soil. Only fill to the soil line, planting your Magnolia too deep can kill your plant. 6. Water in Well and Mulch Once the dirt is in place, give it a quick pat down with your shoe and grab the hose. Newly planted trees LOVE a thorough watering after being transplanted. It gives them a much-needed drink and gets rid of any lingering air pockets next to the roots.  Magnolias have fleshy roots that are in particular need of protection. Adding a 3-4 inch layer of mulch, starting an inch away from the trunk, is a great way to offer that protection. Plus it conserves water and decreases competition for nutrients by decreasing weeds.  Do you have access to mulch? Many times local tree services who do tree trimming grind up the leaves, branches and trunks of the trees they trim. These arborist chips are fantastic to use as mulch over the top of the roots of your landscape plants, in your shrub and perennial borders, and in large and small gardens.  Be sure that you keep that mulch away from the trunks of trees, and from the stems of the plants coming from the ground. Just like with dirt, it does not need to be piled up against the trunks and can actually kill the plants if done so. #ProPlantTips for Magnolia Tree Care Ok, once the tree has been planted, what’s next? Always check our #ProPlantTips for care in the product description for specific instructions. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind: Pay Attention to Watering Magnolias do not like to have the soil baked by the hot, drying sun. So not only mulch but additional watering may be needed especially during the hot and dry spells of summer and fall to keep your plants stress-free. Plants, like people, are more susceptible to insect and disease issues when under stress.  It is important is to keep your newly planted plants healthy and happy. Pay close attention to the water. Too much water is just as detrimental as too little water. Check out our top watering tips! Use the trusty “finger test” to know if your Magnolia needs more water or not. Stick your finger into the soil and feel. If it is moist, then skip watering. As soon as it begins to feel dry to the touch, be sure to water deeply and thoroughly.  Pruning Magnolias Most Magnolias will surprise you as to how quickly they grow after they have been established in your yard. You’ll find it hard to want to prune your Magnolias because the bigger they get the more flowers are produced.  While most magnolias are fairly small trees, some can grow to be over 40 feet. A light pruning can be done if necessary, but only after the flowers fade.  Pruning in late winter, before flowering, will remove the coming spring blooms. So it’s best to be patient, enjoy the flower power, and prune after the show is over. The overall form of these magnificent plants is quite formal, especially when young. Most grow pyramidal in outline with very little pruning required. Magnolias are robust growers and can add two feet or even more in a season.  Some of the very first flowers looked a lot like Magnolias. Add one of these historical trees to your front yard as an accent or buy a bunch to create your own magnolia grove.