Why Do I Have Brown Leaves on My Magnolia Trees?

If you’ve ever asked, “Why are my magnolia leaves brown?” You’re hardly alone. These specimens can be beautiful, but they can also have problems. Brown leaves on a magnolia tree can be the result of a number of factors, such as frost damage, lack of water, nutrient deficiencies, or disease. Read on to find out why your magnolia tree may have brown leaves and what you can do about it.

Reasons why foliage dies off on magnolia trees
To diagnose the cause of leaf dieback, investigate. First, identify the variety of magnolia you have. Also pay attention to the time of year and other factors happening at the same time.
Magnolia tree losing leaves
Some magnolia trees are deciduous, such as saucer magnolia (M. x soulangiana), and some are evergreen, such as southern magnolia (M. grandiflora). If your tree is deciduous, you don’t have to worry about problems in the fall: its leaves are expected to darken and fall off in the fall.

Frost Damage
If brown leaves appear in the spring, it may mean your plant has been damaged by frost. 1 The good news is that such winter frost damage or leaf scorch is unlikely. Kill your plants. The bad news is that this will ruin the plant’s appearance for a while, and there is little you can do to prevent frost damage to mature specimens.

However, if you’ve just brought home a small plant from the garden center, you may want to choose a planting location that is more likely to protect the foliage from frost. An example of such a covered area is the area near your home. If the tree is still small enough, you can also cover it with a sheet (or similar covering) overnight when frost is expected in your area (but be sure to remove it the next day).

For mature magnolia trees, your options are more limited. However, you can try the following measures:

Soak the soil around the plant’s root zone. The air temperature over wet ground is usually higher than over dry ground.
Place your patio heater (if you have one) near the tree (but not so close that it heats up the foliage). Always strictly follow the safety instructions when operating such equipment.
For protection, spray antiperspirant on the leaves.
Not enough water
If the leaves turn brown in the summer, insufficient watering can cause the leaves to turn brown, although strong winds can also be the culprit (they dry out the leaves).2 The first problem is more serious, but there is still no point in jumping to the conclusion that your magnolia tree is dead. It is better to be patient and give the plant time to recover. As a preventive measure:

Plant new plants in a sheltered location if there is strong wind in your area.
Make sure the soil in the root zone remains evenly moist.
Nutritional deficiency
If the leaves turn brown in the spring or summer, have you noticed that the brown leaves fall off immediately after the color changes? If so, it may signal an “iron deficiency.”2 Conduct a soil test to confirm the soil content of the plant. Your county office will be able to test a soil sample for you.

Plant diseases
If you notice sudden death of entire branches or leaves, or sudden death of an entire plant, it could be Verticillium wilt, a common fungus that can kill mature plants.3 Cankers or unusually large buds can often cause this, causing branches to curl. . You can try to control both diseases by pruning branches below the infected area, but in most cases the disease is systemic and will likely spread throughout the entire tree. It is necessary to carefully sterilize the scissors with alcohol to avoid spreading the fungus to other plants.

Damp environments and overwatering can cause root rot, allowing pathogens to enter the plant’s vascular system, killing the plant from the inside out. Late blight infestation can cause magnolia leaves to turn brown and fall off. If you suspect root rot or late blight infection, reduce watering to allow the roots to dry out and try to heal.