Southern Magnolia Magnolia grandiflora Alek Diachenko ENH 101 GENERAL DESCRIPTION • Medium-large evergreen tree • 60-90ft tall & 30-50ft wide • Single, straight trunk -timber is hard & heavy • Spreading branches - form a dense, broadly pyramidal crown • Coarse texture, smooth gray bark • Moderate growth rate • Can grow as both a tree or shrub • Lemon scent when branches are cut/bruised DESCRIPTION (foliage) • Alternate Leaf arrangement • Elliptic/ovate leaf shape • 5-10” long & 2-5” wide • Thick and leathery texture • Glossy dark green top w/ a yellow-brown pubescence underneath • Fall off frequently, making a mess on the surface below • Aesthetic appeal in landscapes and gardens DESRIPTION (Flower & Fruit) FLOWER • White, large, showy • Sweet aroma/scent; very fragrant • Up to 12” in diameter • Saucer shaped • Found singly (never in clusters) • Blooms in spring (april-june) and sporadically throughout the season FRUIT reddish-brown conelike structures, 3-8” long consist of bright red kidney shaped seeds that hang from little threads Showy, persistent Attracts birds Mature in autumn (September) DISTRIBUTION, HABITAT, CULTURE • Native to the southeastern United States (Coastal Virginia-Central Florida (N to S) & from Texas- Arkansas (W to E) • -grown on west coast, but tend not to do as well (lacks humidity/moisture) • prevalent on the edges of bodies of water and swamps -waxy coating on leaves increases resistance against salt & air pollution Grows in warm temperate to semitropical climates • Light: full sun to partial shade – shaded areas=large tree, coastal/exposed areas=low shrub • Moisture: very drought tolerant, although prefers rich, loamy, moist soils (near streams and swamps) • Propagation: grows rapidly from seed, cultivars are grafted onto seedlings or started from cuttings • State tree of Mississippi & state flower of Mississippi and Louisiana Seed Production & Development • Southern magnolia-prolific seed producer and good seed crops normally occur every year -trees as young as 10 years old can produce seed • seed viability averages about 50 percent • disseminated mostly by birds, mammals, and heavy rains • seeds usually germinate the first or second spring following seedfall • seedlings-very susceptible to frost damage, and even a light freeze can cause mortality -Partial shade is beneficial for the first 2 years of seedling growth -Under favorable conditions growth is quite rapid and seedlings can grow 18 to 24” in the first year Uses • South’s premier landscape tree • Popular ornamental tree, grown for attractive foliage and flowers -street tree, free standing specimen, framing tree, shade tree • Lumber is used in the construction of furniture, boxes, pallets, venetian blinds, sashes, doors, and veneers -ideal for furniture because lumber is hard, straight grained and has uniform texture with closely spaced rings • Parts of fruits and flowers used in pharmaceuticals Liabilities • Messy: leaves and flowers can pose as a litter problem • Often suffers from scale, aphids, and leaf spot • Needs a moist/humid climate to thrive • Roots will sometimes girdle • Susceptible to fire-caused injury and winter-freeze • Easily damaged from lawn equipment because of thin bark • for first five years tree will not flower • Can not tolerate soil compaction -will almost never survive on a construction site References • Floridata.com • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_grandiflora • www.ipm.uconn.edu/Plants/m/maggra/maggra1.html • http://na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/magnolia/ grandiflora.htm.