Genus: Magnolia
Magnolia macrophylla L.
Ruth Ann Pannell, Biology Major
ruthiep@arches.uga.edu
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
University of Georgia, Athens(Go Dawgs!)
Class: Magnoliopsida
SubClass: Magnolidae
Order: Ranales
Family: Magnoliaceae
Genus: Magnolia
Species: macrophylla
Description of Magnolia macrophylla
Magnolia macrophylla is a medium sized tree which has a max trunk diameter of 8-10 feet (Small, 1933) and a maximum height of 50 feet (Wyman, 1951) .
Leaf:
This tree has the largest simple tree leaf of any dictotyledonous tree in North America. The leaves are "deciduous, simple, alternate; blades cordate or lobed at the base, 20-30" long; upper surfaces glabrous, dark green; lower surfaces flaucous, pubescent" (Brown and Kirman, 1990) . Leaves are thin, "blue-gray-bloomy beneath and sometimes more than 2 feet long" (Kelly, 1995)
Twigs:
"Stout, brittle, densely tomentose when young; terminal winter buds bluntly pointed, flattened, covered wiath white hairs, 1 3/4 - 2" long; a large pith" (Brown and Kirman, 1990).
Flower:
Beautiful, ivory flowers growing 10 to 15 inches wide, "with three purple blotches on inner petals." Blooms in April and May, "after foliage in upper canopy in center of a large foliage cluster. Fragrant" (Odenwald and Turner, 1996) . The flowers are impresive but have a disagreeable odor (Everett, 1968) .
Fruit:
Cone-like aggregate of follicles, "ovoid to subglobose, reddish purple, soon blackening. Seeds bright red." Mature in July and August (Odenwald and Turner, 1996) .
Bark:
The bark is thin and gray. It forms "small inconspicuous plates on older trees" (Brown and Kirman, 1990) .
Form:
"Dense, upright, pyrimidal form in sunlight for first 15 to 20 years becoming more irregular with advanced age. Loose open density in shade" (Odenwald and Turner, 1996) . The trunk is sometimes branched at the base (Small, 1933) .
Taxonomy
Magnolia macrophyllawas described by Michaux (Radford, 1968) . The genus Magnolia was named by Linnaeus in honor of Pierre Magnol, who was the physician of King Louis XIV of France and was the director of a botanical garden at Montpellier (Grimm, 1967) . Magnol was also a professor of Botany at Montpellier (Gray, 1864) .
Scientific Reference with Identification Key:
Radford, A.E., H.E. ahles and C.R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. University of North Carolina Press. Chapel Hill, NC. (ISBN 0-8078-1087-8)
Where to find this Species:
Magnolia macrophylla occurs in rich wooded ravines in isolated populations. It occurs in the Piedmont and upper Coastal Plain of western Georgia (Brown and Kirman, 1990).
Species Distribution Chart
Magnolia macrophylla L. |
| AREA | STATUS | REFERENCES |
North America:
Continental United States; Canada | Yes |
Duncan and Duncan, 1988 |
Eastern North America:
United States east of Mississippi;
Ontario and eastern Canada | Yes | Duncan and Duncan, 1988 |
Southeastern United States:
AL AR DE DC FL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV | Yes | Duncan and Duncan, 1988. |
Southern Appalachian States:
AL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV | Yes | Duncan and Duncan, 1988 |
|
| Coastal Plain | Isolated Populations | Brown and Kirman, 1990 |
| Piedmont | Isolated Populations | Brown and Kirman, 1990 |
| Blue Ridge Mountains | Isolated Populations | Brown and Kirman, 1990 |
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
| Yes | Brown and Kirman, 1990 |
| Ridge and Valley | Yes | Duncan and Duncan, 1988 |
| Cumberland Plateau | Marginal | Brown and Kirman, 1990 |
| Central Arch | No | Brown and Kirman, 1990 |
|
| Georgia | Isolated Population | Duncan and Duncan, 1988 |
| Clarke County, Georgia | No | Jones and Coile, 1979 |
| Sams Farm | No | Jones and Coile, 1979 |
- Old Field
| No | Jones and Coile, 1979 |
- Wetland
| No | Jones and Coile, 1979 |
- Woods
| No | Jones and Coile, 1979 |
- 1-Hectare Plot
| No | Ruthie Pannell, pers. Ob. |
Other Information about Magnolia macrophylla:
Magnolia macrophylla is considered by many to be the most spectacular deciduous tree in the Southeastern United States because is has such large leaves and stands out to any observer. It is a medium sized tree and primarily an understory specimen in it's native habitat. Magnolia macrophylla has a slow to moderate growth rate. It performs best in loose, moist, well-drained soil (Odenwald and Turner, 1996) . Magnolia macrophylla requires acid soil and protection from the wind (Kelly, 1995) . If trying to grow Magnolia macrophylla it should be placed in a protected position because of it's frail leaves (Odenwald and Turner, 1996) .
Magnolia macrophylla bloom in Aptil and May. It's fruits mature in July and August (Odenwald and Turner, 1996) . Magnolia macrophylla is not a long lived tree and typically does not live over 40 years (Kelly, 1995) .
Magnolia macrophylla is hard to grow because it is a highly tempermental tree. It is hard to establish and should be enjoyed in its natural environment. It may be more easily established on old, undisturbed habitats with rich woodland soils (Odenwald and Turner, 1996) .
Some magnificent sixty to seventy-five foot specimens of Magnolia macrophylla exist on bluffs along trails at Gloster Arboretum, Gloster, Mississippi (Odenwald and Turner, 1996)
Uses:
Magnolia macrophylla has little economic importance or uses because of it's rarity. It is not used often as an ornamental tree because its foilage is so frail (Duncan and Duncan, 1988) .
How to Encounter Magnolia macrophylla
Magnolia macrophylla can be found in its native range in the US from Kentucky to Florida to Louisiana (Odenwald and Turner, 1996) . It is found in bottomland woods, wooded ravines, and rich wooded slopes (Duncan and Duncan, 1996) . Although no specimens are found in Clarke County the largest specimens of this species can be found on bluffs and along the trails of Gloster Arboretum, in Gloster, Mississippi (Odenwald and Turner, 1996) .
How to distinguish Magnolia macrophylla from other Taxa:
Magnolia macrophylla can easily be recognized by its large leaves which are the largest of any native tree in temperate North America (Wyman, 1951) . The leaves can reach over 2 feet long (Everett, 1968).
Useful Links for furthur study of Magnolia macrophylla
- Species guide: Magnolia macrophylla
- Bigleaf Magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla)
- Link to Magnolia virginiana Species Page
- Link to Magnolia grandiflora Species Page
References
- Brown, C. and K. Kirman. 1990 Trees of Georgia and Adjacent States. Timber Press, INC. Portland, OR.
- Cronquist, A. and H. Gleason. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of the Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. 2nd Ed. New york Botanical Garden, New York.
- Duncan, W.H. and W.B. Duncan. 1988. Trees of the Southeastern United States. THe University of Georgia Press. Athens, GA.(ISBN 0-8203-0954-0). 322 pages.
- Everett, T.H. 1968. Living Trees of the World. Chanticleer Press New York.
- Gray, A. 1864. Lessons in Botany. Ivison, Phinney, Blakeman & Co. New York.
- Grimm, William C. 1967. Familiar Trees of America. Harper and Row Publishers. New York.
- Hardin, J.W. 1992. Foliar Morphology of the Common Trees of North Carolina and Adjacent Sates. Dept. of Botany, North Carolina University. Raleigh, NC.
- Jones, S.B. and Coile. 1988. The Georgia Plant List. Dept. of Botany, University of Georgia. Athens. GA.
- Kelly, John. 1995. The Hillier Gardner's Guide to Trees and Shrubs. The Readers Digest Association, INC. Italy. (ISBN 0-89577-973-0.)
- Milne, L. and M. Milne. 1975. Living Plants fo the World. Chanticleer Press. New York.
- Odenwald, N. and J. Turner. 1996. Identification Selection and Use of Southern Plants for Landscape Design. 3rd Ed. Claitor's Publishing Division. Baton Rouge, LA.
- Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles and C.R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. University of North Carolina. Press. Chapel Hill, NC.(ISBN 0-8078-1087-8.)
- Small, John K. 1933. Manual of the Southeastern Flora. Published by the Author. New York.
- Wyman, Donald. 1951. Trees for American Gardens. Macmillan Co. New York.
Special thanks to Bryan, Ben, and Beth for their help and patience!