It’s impossible to drive through Atlanta, or any major city in the south, without noticing a Southern Magnolia. It is the state tree for Mississippi and its scientific name is Magnolia grandiflora.
Its leaves are large (8”-10”), leathery, dark green, and glossy on top and burnt orange, and felty feeling underneath. It’s an evergreen, meaning it does not shed all of its leaves. However, the leaves that are shed typically cover the ground underneath and take a really long time to decay due to their toughness.
Its flower, after which it's named for (grandiflora – large flower), is a beautiful creamy white in color. It is often used in floral arrangements and centerpieces for southern weddings.
Its fruit resembles a small, hairy artichoke and when it pops open, small red seeds extrude from the fruit and attract birds.
The magnolia grows to about 60 to 80 feet at maturity with a canopy that’s about 20 to 40 feet wide. The low-growing branches and thick foliage make it a fun tree for kids to climb in. They are often used as street trees, property border trees, and ornamental focal points in southern front yards.
While it is most commonly found in the south, it is still very tolerant of colder climates. In fact, there was one planted by Andrew Jackson at the White House in 1835 and survived through 39 presidencies until it was removed in 2018.
Magnolias are generally considered to be drought tolerant, however, they are still susceptible to many diseases and pests including scales, leaf miners, cankers, blight, black sooty mold, and verticillium wilt. If your magnolia is showing signs of sickness, then contact a certified arborist to have them diagnose the problem and put the tree on a plant healthcare program!