I know Master Gardeners with sophisticated propagation equipment who have not been able to root cuttings of Michelia x alba, but you've got nothing to lose by trying! I would suggest water rooting in a very humid greenhouse type environment.

AngelSmell, Michelia alba is not impossible to root. Trying is half the fun. In trying you might discover things previously unknown. Good luck
Cal

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:784140}}

Lately, a friend of mine, who owns a nursery in Thailand, propagates M. alba from cuttings. He used very young shoots and put them under mist and in full sun. I am not sure what kind of hormone he used. But it really works! With this technique he can produce a lot of trees with less time and much cheaper. In my opinion timing (of the year) is also very important for the success rate. One drawback is... it is very young and will take a longer time to bloom.

Kukiat

Hi Dr. kukiat, it is nice to hear from you again. Yes the very young shoots will root under mist while an older shoot will produce flower within a year! From experience timing and geographic location are very important but the most important factor is the mother plant! Grafting still seems to be the fastest way to induce flowering especially with a well developed root system as can be seen from the picture on Michelia champaca. Have you read the fall/winter 2004 issue of Magnolia? (Magnolia Society) it has an article on tissue culture of Magnolia sirindhorniae

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:784143}}

I will put the little branches (12 in) in hormone powder and put in a pot, what do I have to loose? Thank you so much for the encouragement.... maybe I'll be successful?

Hi Cal, it is nice to hear from you, too. I haven't read this issue of Magnolias yet. It is quite interesting. Grafting and cuttings (young shoots) are still the very popular methods of propagation for Magnolias in Thailand.

I have two big Sirindhorniae trees in my garden but they are still too young to flower. They were from seeds from the original trees in the jungle since the year they were first found.

Kukiat

I live in San Francisco and I have a michelia alba tree grow in my backyard for almost 30 years, and it is about 30 feet tall. Each year it blooms a lot of very fragrant flowers. On June 2011, I airlayered my michelia alba tree and on July 2012 I discovered that the airlayering part had the roots coming out of the pouch. I am so happy!!! I have been strying so much on airlayering, but nonne of them were successed!!!! But this time it worked!!!

May be this picture is better to see the roots coming out on the airlayering!!!

This is my tree 3 years in the ground. I just started airlayering 2 month ago. just wish me luck. {{gwi:784163}}

Hi Sam89 - please keep us posted and thanks for sharing your progress with us.

Kasie

Sam 89, you should airlayering the side branches not the main branch. But you have to wait for the side branches grow a little bit bigger before you start airlayering them. May be a year or two later. Before if your main airlayering branch has roots, that mean you will cut the main branch of the tree, then your michelia alba will have no main branch going straight up. Good luck. Please check on my posting on my airlayering my michelia alba on July 28 2012.

Mick, I chose main branch to airlayer on because I want to limit its height. I'm afraid this tree get too tall for me to maintain. As you can see it is located close to my neighbor's wall.

I trnsplanted my airlayered michelia abla into a pot on Aug 2012, but today I noticed that the top two branches are turning brown. I think that the two branches are dying. But at the bottom branches are still green. I hope it is not dying. Any good advises to save the tree? Thank you. See the picture below.

Hi Mikey - cut off the dead branches so that it won't continue to move down further. To me, your Michelia look promising. Happy growing and you'll have to keep us updated.

Kasie

As I posted before that I did airlayering a lot of my michelia alba. They rooted, but non of them grow.
But on 2010 I did airlayer one more michelia alba, and this year I noticed it formed roots. On July 4 2014, I cut the rooted branch and planted it into a pot. Hope it will grow this time. Wish me luck!!!!

HI Mikey - congratulations to you!!!

~Kasie

Kasie, so nice to hear your voice again!!!! Let us post the news on michelia alba !!!! Thank you.

Mickey

I have air layered Michelia alba twice in Santa Clara Ca. One common mistake, or easily make, is not to provide drainage, or over watering. So once you have wrapped up the plastic or foil, don't forget to use a sharp knife to brake a small hole on the bottom. My first one I didn't notice because the branch I was air layering on is kind of straight up. Water naturally goes down to the bottom where it can leak out. The 2nd one was on a level branch where water sobbed the soil and it didn't root in 3+ months. Once I drained the bottom and punch few tiny holes on the bottom, within 3 months, I got 1 root. Currently I have 5 on the branches, 2 months old. will let you know when they root.

My first one took 6+ months, but I think if I had done correctly, I could shorten the time a bit.

Anyone who has success experience can tell me what is the shortest time to root?

I live in South Florida and planted a Michelia Alba in my yard 3 years ago from a purchase from a nursery. Today it has grown to over 15 ft tall and I cannot reach the flowers on the top branches. What can I do to limit its vertical growth? I'd like to keep it at the current height and not to get any taller.

As I posted on my air-layered michelia alba on 2010, and I transplanted the rooted michelia alba on 2014. Last year 2015 it was so cold in San Francisco, I had to make a small green house for the rooted michelia alba. Now on Feb 2016 it bloomed one flower and there are four new branches on it. So Happy!!!

Hi Mickey are you selling some of your air-layered M. Alba? I am interested in buying from you.

So am I......lol Seriously!! You did a fantastic job!!! If you make more, I would be willing to buy one form you!!! Let us know

@Mickey Kwok hey how is your air layered michelia alba doing?

I want to grow the champaca species here in sf too but not sure how it will do. I am planning to grow them from seeds and use some of them as grafting for alba x.

btw I just created a facebook group for michelia alba, hoping to get more people to join for the discussion.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/micheliaalba/