Magnolia grandiflora

Southern Magnolia

Southern magnolia is a tree that commands attention with its size, its drought tolerance and its year-round evergreen beauty in the landscape. This tree is native to the southeastern region of the United States north to Virginia but not to Maryland. The Latin name for the southern magnolia is Magnolia grandiflora. The genus Magnolia is recognizable to most because it is also used as the common name for most plants within the genus, while the specific epithet, grandiflora, translates in English to large flower. The flowers are creamy white and eye-catching as they emerge from terminal buds, reaching 8 to 12 inches in diameter at full petal spread. The flowers open from May to June and produce an exquisite light citrus fragrance. It can reach 60 to 80 feet in height with a width of 30 to 50 feet and provides year-round interest in southern landscapes. The tree’s natural form is a columnar-pyramidal shape and low-branching habit. The bark stays smooth grey, and its leaf color a lustrous dark green. The leaves are simple with a broadly ovate shape bordered by smooth margins. Interestingly, the leaves have two distinct phenotypes. One form consists of a glossy greenish-yellow underside while the other has a pubescent brown underside. Many of the selections available on the ornamental tree market have taken advantage of these differences as well as dwarf characteristics and narrow columnar forms. The fruit, ripening September to November, is a lovely rose-red color that adds ornamental flair among the evergreen leaves. There are 57 southern magnolias in the University of Maryland’s tree inventory, each having its own attractive location which brings out the beauty of the flowers as well as their surrounding landscapes and architecture. The largest southern magnolia on the UMD campus is located to the south of the Physic building.