OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Magnoliids: Magnoliales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Magnolia macrophylla   FAMILY Magnoliaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Magnolia macrophylla   FAMILY Magnoliaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH The phylogeny of Magnolia in eastern North America (Tobe, 1998)

Magnolia macrophylla ssp. macrophylla

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3 (1997)

Magnolia macrophylla

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 080-02-003:

Magnolia macrophylla   FAMILY Magnoliaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Magnolia macrophylla

 

COMMON NAME:
Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

Trees You Want to Know (Peattie, 1934); illustration by F.A. Michaux    dcp34_p35

        

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) (Sargent, 1905)    mtna_i_381

        

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_mama2_001_lvd

        

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_m_macrophylla2

February        

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

JK Marlow    jkm070506_012

May    Gaston County    NC

Redlair Farms

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

JK Marlow    jkm070506_015

May    Gaston County    NC

Redlair Farms

Leaves whitened and hairy below, mostly 18-28" long, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

JK Marlow    jkm070506_017

May    Gaston County    NC

Redlair Farms

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

JK Marlow    jkm070506_023

May    Gaston County    NC

Redlair Farms

Leaf blades heart-shaped or lobed at base, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

JK Marlow    jkm070506_038

May    Gaston County    NC

Redlair Farms

Bark brown, thin, slightly warty, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

JK Marlow    jkm070506_043

May    Gaston County    NC

Redlair Farms

False whorls of leaves at branch tips impart an umbrella-like appearance, per South Carolina's Native Magnolias (Figlar, 2007).

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

JK Marlow    jkm070506_049

May    Gaston County    NC

Redlair Farms

Bark thin, gray, smooth, forming small inconspicuous plates on older trees, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

JK Marlow    jkm070506_082

May    Gaston County    NC

Redlair Farms

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmmmacrophylla_1

May        

Petals frequently have conspicuous purplish blotches near base inside, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmmmacrophylla_6

May        

Petals 15-20cm long, per Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988).

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmmmacrophylla_7

May        

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmmmacrophylla_92

May        

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmmmacrophylla_93

May        

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_m_macrophylla_2

August        

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_m_macrophylla_big

August        

The largest simple leaves of any tree in North America, per Landscaping with Native Trees (Sternberg & Wilson, 1995).

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

Ron Lance    rwl_mmacrophylla2

September        

In cultivation

Fruit pinkish when ripe, finely hairy, globular, 3-4" long, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE fruits that are an aggregate of follicles

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_m_macro_cnc_1

November        

Chattahoochee Nature Center

Terminal buds often >25mm long w pointed tip, covered w white-silky hairs, per Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004).

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmmmacrophylla_tripetal

Month Unknown        

On left M. tripetala, on right M. macrophylla.


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE leaves of Magnolia species

image of Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia, Large-leaved Magnolia, Umbrella Tree

Patrick D. McMillan    pdmmmacrophylla_wl3

Month Unknown        

Lower surface of leaf white and with fine silvery hairs, per Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988).

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Magnolia macrophylla   FAMILY Magnoliaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Magnolia macrophylla   FAMILY Magnoliaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH The phylogeny of Magnolia in eastern North America (Tobe, 1998)
Magnolia macrophylla ssp. macrophylla

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 3
Magnolia macrophylla

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 080-02-003:
Magnolia macrophylla   FAMILY Magnoliaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Magnolia macrophylla

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

898

Tree
Perennial

Habitat: Mesic forests, primarily over limestone, other calcareous sedimentary rocks (calcareous shales, sandstones, etc.), or mafic rocks (east of the Blue Ridge), mesic hammocks in the Coastal Plain, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Rare or waifs in GA-NC-SC

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Alternate, crowded at branch tips & appearing whorled ("umbrella-like")

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Creamy-white
Radially symmetrical
3 sepals
6-12 petals
Numerous stamens
Bisexual

FRUIT:
Summer
Aggregate of follicles

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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