Magnolia getting too large, no I.D. Keep or cut down?

[Little Splodge]

I’m hoping someone can identify this magnolia which I bought as a bare root plant in 2006 and thought was going to be a small tree but it is now 20’ high and growing. Every magnolia it looks like seems destined to be a 60’ one…

 I took off the spreading branches last autumn hence the unnatural oval shape; it was reaching out wide towards my boundaries before.

It flowers twice p.a. in April and summer - it’s just starting to bud up again now. It’s in the middle of my lawn 20’ /6.1 m from my house and maybe 24’ away from the opposite terraced houses. I’d like to keep it but I’m worried it may cause issues for me or my neighbours with wide spreading surface roots? I’m in Hailsham, East Sussex, on clay soil and the soakaway for my waterbutt is below it somewhere so no wonder it’s happy!

 

Any idea how big it’s going to get?…!! 

 

 And can I stop it getting any bigger by repeated pruning or should I get it taken down completely? I love it and my other trees but they are enclosing my garden and some are definitely due for more tree surgery. I have a beautiful hawthorn on the boundary by my opposite neighbour, which I favour over the magnolia but the magnolia is spreading towards it too. The hawthorn was crown reduced 2 years ago, it’s much nearer the opposite terrace, but probably 40 or 50 yrs old + so I hope no problem. Someone long ago has lopped off branches the terrace side so its growing on my side only but somehow stays upright!
 

There’s a massive bay in my immediate neighbour’s garden on my terrace,  which used to be pruned annually but her tenant is absent so it just keeps growing and is taller than my magnolia now. So that plus the magnolia will make a canopy soon if left unchecked. 

Any advice please?

 

[Steven P]

It would probably be OK with a trim. Like most trees though to keep it in check you will need to repeat every few years

[Little Splodge]

37 minutes ago, Steven P said:

It would probably be OK with a trim. Like most trees though to keep it in check you will need to repeat every few years

That would be great if that works. No idea how big it might get?  I am concerned because it has responded to last year’s cut with such vigorous growth 

[Mesterh]

They can get to about 20 feet so not massive but they also have a decent spread. Just keep pruning it back. My parents have a few that they just hack back every now and again none have died yet. 

[Mick Dempsey]

No expert, but that doesn’t look like a Grandiflora, which are the tree size ones.

Looks like a Soulangenea (sp) which stays much smaller. 
 

Edited yesterday at 04:57 by Mick Dempsey

[Little Splodge]

I had wondered about Magnolia called ‘Susan’ but mine has already exceeded 4m and  Susan doesn’t flower twice p.a which mine does without fail spring and summer

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/74490/magnolia-susan/details

[Dan Maynard]

12 hours ago, Little Splodge said:

That would be great if that works. No idea how big it might get?  I am concerned because it has responded to last year’s cut with such vigorous growth 

This is why the usual advice for pruning magnolia is not to, they can sprout back with a vengeance with vertical growth that's not as attractive as the original tree. If it's too big though, can be the only answer.

 

Bay is also one that gets big, you need to chop that back. They'll tolerate any abuse though.

[openspaceman]

4 hours ago, Dan Maynard said:

Bay is also one that gets big, you need to chop that back. They'll tolerate any abuse though.

Too true

[Little Splodge]

5 hours ago, Dan Maynard said:

This is why the usual advice for pruning magnolia is not to, they can sprout back with a vengeance with vertical growth that's not as attractive as the original tree. If it's too big though, can be the only answer.

 

Bay is also one that gets big, you need to chop that back. They'll tolerate any abuse though.

Yes that’s exactly what is happening Dan, its shot skyward this year and that coupled with my removal of some wider spreading branches is making it look a bit odd although still attractive.

So my main question is will (annual?) removal of some of its height and width if it will tolerate it, stop the roots spreading so wide? 

[spudulike]

That magnolia looks like one I had at my previous house. The thing just puts on loads of growth each year and needs thinning out often to keep it at a manageable size.

It isn't sniffy at when or how much in my experience.

[nepia]

It's a soulangeana or similar which should stop at about 6-7m tall.  As said cutting it back will result in ugly 'lollipop' growth but you can minimise that by cutting back to a strong sideshoot, i.e. small branch.  Now is a good time to do it unless the tree is drought stressed due to the weather of the last few months in which case either water it a lot or wait until there's been good sustained rain.

For the future regular light pruning is the way to go; that will generate much less ugly reaction.  Keep it small, don't make it small.