The recreational side of magnolia trees

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Evergreen magnolias have tough leaves that last for years after they’re shed. If you don’t limb up your magnolias, the branches that swoop to the ground hide those leaves. The lower limbs also make magnolia trees perfect for climbing. My kids would holler at me while we were outside and I could hardly see them, they were up so high our magnolias and mostly hidden by leaves. We were anything but helicopter parents in St. Matthews, they could ride bikes to the fast food restaurant and walk to the Methodist Church to play on seesaws and swings. If you don’t want your kids quite that high, then plant one of the shorter magnolia cultivars and avoid clutching your heart in horror and still have a great tree to use for decorations.