Southern Magnolia too close to palm trees?

[maskedmole]

I live in Tennessee zone about 7a. In my signature you can see our recent winters have averaged to 7a. The 2012 USDA map puts us in 6b, but the 2015 map I think puts us in 7a. So we are able to barely grow southern magnolia I think so I gave it a try. I've also seen a few southern magnolia in my town, at least I'm pretty sure that's what they are. There are much more southern magnolia outside the high elevation I live on where it is warmer. My southern mag has been fine since I planted it about 2 years ago and has grown some. It is about 3 or 4 ft high I would say. I have a needle palm planted 15 feet away to the left. A gravel driveway is directly in front of it where the blue car is parked. Then there is a sabal minor about 23 ft to the left and another needle palm about 31 ft away. 

My question is, should I go ahead and transplant the southern magnolia elsewhere? Would the gravel driveway hurt it's roots somehow where we drive over it? Would it end up killing or stunting the palm trees around it? I plant to plant some more in the area, maybe even closer to the magnolia also. I've heard the magnolia produces a chemical when it gets bigger to kill plants that grow too close to it. So if I end up having to move it, what are some good evergreen replacement trees or plants? I've thought about little gem magnolia but it seems a little too slightly cold here for it. I've got pictures of what I believe is a mature southern magnolia in my town and some smaller ones. The mature one hopefully shows how big it will get here and if that is that so big it will smother other plants? Slightly taller than the building. And I also have a picture of my driveway. I know the magnolia will not become a giant here like it does further south but still a bit worried it will get big enough to cause trouble. Thanks. 

 

Another what I think was a southern magnolia. Unfortunately cut down now. 

They seem to get much bigger and more numerous in our neighboring county to the south where the elevation drops off.

[Kailua_Krish]

I would hazard it will be fine with the needles and sabal minor. I have sabal minor planted directly beneath a large magnolia in my FL garden and a needle at the periphery of the tree. Both of these seem to have done fine . Magnolia roots are fairly shallow and they do drop a lot of leaves that are slow to decompose but are fairly easy to blow off of a driveway. I think it would be fine there.

[teddytn]

Tons of magnolias growing in Clarksville, TN. I’ve got grandiflora, little gem, and coco here. I plan on planting Sabal minors around them in the future. Magnolias do have a ton of surface roots when they get big, may not be the best planted really close. Then again palms do grow naturally as understory plants in the forest lol. Hmm you got me thinking here 

[maskedmole]

  On 1/3/2022 at 2:47 PM, Kailua_Krish said:

I would hazard it will be fine with the needles and sabal minor. I have sabal minor planted directly beneath a large magnolia in my FL garden and a needle at the periphery of the tree. Both of these seem to have done fine . Magnolia roots are fairly shallow and they do drop a lot of leaves that are slow to decompose but are fairly easy to blow off of a driveway. I think it would be fine there.

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Thanks. Valuable information. I've done a bit of digging and it seems the allelopathy from southern magnolias comes from their dropped leaves and leaches into the soil to competing plants, something like that. Do you regularly rake up the dropped leaves of your southern magnolia? Also, if I decide on leaving mine here, do you think it will tear up my gravel driveway with big roots in the way making it bumpy and hard to drive? Also your magnolia must be huge being in Florida. That is interesting your palms do well in it's vicinity.

Edited January 4, 2022 by maskedmole

[maskedmole]

  On 1/4/2022 at 1:25 AM, teddytn said:

Tons of magnolias growing in Clarksville, TN. I’ve got grandiflora, little gem, and coco here. I plan on planting Sabal minors around them in the future. Magnolias do have a ton of surface roots when they get big, may not be the best planted really close. Then again palms do grow naturally as understory plants in the forest lol. Hmm you got me thinking here 

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Apparantly, it is the dropped leaves of the grandiflora to worry about with allelopathy. I assume if they are raked up, it isn't much of a problem to other plants besides the competition for sunlight, and water and nutrients being sucked up. But according to the other comment, that doesn't seem to be an issue for their palms. I've seen many striking southern magnolias just outside our county in many areas of Tennessee. It's a shame they aren't planted more in my town. It is slightly colder here due to our higher elevation and grandiflora seems seemingly absent from purchase in our town so I assume that's why it isn't planted more here. I had to drive about 30 or so minutes to a neighboring city which is a little bit warmer than here to purchase my grandiflora as I couldn't find it anywhere here. It is planted much more in this neighboring city with some rather large specimens. I only saw grandiflora for sale one time at our lowes and they were all gone in like a week. I wonder where they all went because I sure never saw any of those planted anywhere...

Edited January 4, 2022 by maskedmole

[Kailua_Krish]

  On 1/4/2022 at 10:51 AM, maskedmole said:

Thanks. Valuable information. I've done a bit of digging and it seems the allelopathy from southern magnolias comes from their dropped leaves and leaches into the soil to competing plants, something like that. Do you regularly rake up the dropped leaves of your southern magnolia? Also, if I decide on leaving mine here, do you think it will tear up my gravel driveway with big roots in the way making it bumpy and hard to drive? Also your magnolia must be huge being in Florida. That is interesting your palms do well in it's vicinity.

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It will make the gravel driveway lumpy as you said. The surface roots on magnolias get quite large.

I don't worry too much about allelopathy. Its less important in a not as competitive environment like someones yard. I never rake leaves and everything is composted where it falls and because of that the soil in my FL garden is incredibly rich as the yearly oak leaf drop really improves the soil. I have ferns and palms under my magnolia. I used to have bromeliads but the ferns overtook them and only the palms can push past.