Southern Magnolia
(Magnoliaceae Magnolia
grandiflora)
Adopted in 1938.
In 1935, the Director of
Forestry started a movement
by which to select a State
Tree for Mississippi, to be
selected by nomination and
election by the school
children of the State. Four
nominations were made--the
magnolia, oak, pine and
dogwood. The magnolia
received by far the largest
majority. On April 1, 1938,
the Mississippi Legislature
officially designated the
magnolia as the State Tree.
Although no specific species
of magnolia was designated
as the state tree of
Mississippi, most references
recognize the Southern
Magnolia, Magnolia
grandiflora, as the
state tree.
The large, lustrous,
evergreen foliage makes the
Southern Magnolia a
desirable ornamental plant.
Its flowers are produced
more abundantly in southern
areas than in northern
areas.
Southern magnolia
(Magnolia grandiflora),
also called evergreen
magnolia, bull-bay,
big-laurel, or large-flower
magnolia, has large fragrant
white flowers and evergreen
leaves that make it one of
the most splendid of forest
trees and a very popular
ornamental that has been
planted around the world.
This moderately fast-growing
medium-sized tree grows best
on rich, moist, well-drained
soils of the bottoms and low
uplands of the Coastal
Plains of Southeastern
United States. It grows with
other hardwoods and is
marketed as magnolia lumber
along with other magnolia
species to make furniture,
pallets, and veneer.
Wildlife eat the seeds, and
florists prize the leathery
foliage.
Description:
- Size: - 60 to
80 feet in height with a
spread of about 30 to 50
feet. It develops into a
large tree in
southeastern Virginia,
but in western Virginia
its height may not
exceed 20 feet due to
occasional winter
damage.
There are numerous
cultivars, and there can
be variation between
seedlings. Grows at
about a medium rate with
a pyramidal habit.
Generally branched to
the ground and best left
this way since growing
anything under them is
futile.
- Leaf:
Alternate, simple,
pinnately veined and
evergreen, 5 to 8 inches
long, oval in shape with
an entire margin. Very
waxy/shiny above, and
reddish tomentose below.
- Flower: Very
showy and fragrant, 6 to
8 inches wide with large
white petals. Flowers
are borne singly, from
May to June.
- Fruit: An
aggregate of follicles,
green changing to red,
cylindrical, 3 to 5
inches long with red
seeds, 1/2 inch long.
Maturing October to
November.
- Twig: Stout,
with white to rusty
tomentum and a long (1
to 1 1/2 inches) silky
white to rusty red
terminal bud.
- Bark: Brown
to gray, thin, smooth/lenticellate
when young, later with
close plates or scales.
- Form: A
medium-sized tree with a
pyramidal crown. When
open grown, the crown is
dense with low branches.
Taxonomic
Hierarchy
|
Kingdom |
Plantae --
Plants |
Subkingdom |
Tracheobionta --
Vascular plants |
Superdivision |
Spermatophyta --
Seed plants |
Division |
Magnoliophyta --
Flowering plants |
Class |
Magnoliopsida --
Dicotyledons |
Subclass |
Magnoliidae
– |
Order |
Magnoliales
– |
Family |
Magnoliaceae
– Magnolia
family |
Genus |
Magnolia L.
– magnolia |
Species |
Magnolia
grandiflora
L. – southern
magnolia |
Source:
Dendrology at
Virginia Tech
U.S. Department of
Agriculture
|