Trees of Alabama and the Southeast Home Page

Leaves are simple, alternate, evergreen, elliptical, approximately 11 inches long, shiny and leathery with maroon hairs on the underside. Twigs and buds are covered with maroon hairs and stipular scars surround the twig.  Terminal buds are up to 1 1/2 inches long.  Bark is gray-brown and smooth when young, becoming grooved and scaly with age. Flowers are large, white and wonderfully fragrant.  Fruit is a cone-like cluster of red follicles.  Southern magnolia is found on moist to wet sites in the southeastern Coastal Plain and is shade tolerant.  The pale, heavy wood is used for pulpwood, furniture and pallets.  A popular ornamental for the evergreen leaves and fragrant flowers, but the fruit can be messy and the roots may block septic lines.

Click on photo to enlarge.
 All text and photographs are intended for educational purposes only and are not for commercial use in any form.  All photographs are copyrighted by the named photographer(s), text copyright by Lisa Samuelson. © 2005, all rights reserved. Photographs by Mike Hogan.