Southern magnolia
Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) is a large evergreen magnolia tree native to the coastal plain in the Southeastern United States and cultivated as far north as the Carolinas. It is a common specimen tree in the Birmingham District and may have naturalized in some areas. The tree was named by Charles Plumier for another French botanist, Pierre Magnol.
Southern magnolias can grow to 80 feet tall with thick, low spreading branches and a conical crown. The large thick leaves are dark green and waxy with their edges turned under and with fine yellow-brown hairs beneath. The very large white cup-shaped flowers emerge in late Spring. The fruit is clustered into pink, red or brown conelike sacs that burst open in early Fall. The bark is smooth or finely scaled and varies from gray to brown. Cultivated varieties have been bred for showier flowers, smaller size and cold tolerance.
In its native habitat, the Southern magnolia is found in mixed hardwood forests, especially on lower slopes with moist soils. It does not tolerate fire.
References
- Kirkman, L. Katherine, Claude L. Brown & Donald J. Leopold (2007) Native Trees of the Southeast. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press ISBN 9780881928280
- Magnolia grandiflora (May 9, 2010) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia - accessed May 9, 2010