How to Prune a Teddy Bear Magnolia

Most southern magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora) are large trees, sometimes reaching 80 feet tall and 50 feet wide. The Teddy Bear magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora "Southern Charm"), though, is a dwarf variety, growing only about 16 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 12 feet wide. A Teddy Bear magnolia is also well suited for pruning so you can grow one that is even more compact, perhaps for a small urban space. It also responds well to shaping, if desired.

Difficulty:ModerateRagRubbing alcoholPruning shears or loppers1

Wait until after the Teddy Bear magnolia is finished blooming in the fall.

2

Wet a clean rag with one part rubbing alcohol and one part water. Wipe down the blades of your pruning or lopping shears to sterilize them. This step is especially important if your tools were previously used on sick or diseased plants.

3

Select the Teddy Bear magnolia branches you want to prune. This is not an exact science. For example, prune the longest, most askew branches, cut off the lower branches so it looks more like a tree or shape it so it looks like a shrub. Or, cut the entire plant back by 12 to 18 inches to keep the magnolia more compact.

4

Make clean, sharp cuts just above a leaf node or parent branch and your Teddy Bear magnolia should recover nicely when it begins to grow again in the spring.

Do not cut your Teddy Bear magnolia tree back too hard. It's better to shape it over several years than to try to do it all at once.

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