North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Magnolia grandiflora

Magnolia grandiflora L.

southern magnolia, bull bay

Cultivar(s): Kay Parris, Little Gem

Magnolia grandiflora (Southern Magnolia)

Image ID: 8517
Image by: Parkins, Grant Morrow
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: MAGR4
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Magnolia grandiflora
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2019-08-30

CULTIVAR INDEX

Cult_id	Cultivar_name	Action
636	Kay Parris	View
178	Little Gem	View

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: MAGNO
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Magnolia
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Magnolia
GENUS SUMMARY: As treated here, a genus of about 130 species, trees and shrubs, of e. Asia (Himalayas and Sri Lanka to Japan and w. Malaysia) and America (e. North America to West Indies, Central America, and South America); alternate treatments in current use divide Magnolia into as many as 16 genera (of which Magnolia Linnaeus, Houpoea N.H. Xia & C.Y. Wu, Metamagnolia Sima & S.G. Lu, Paramagnolia Sima & S.G. Lu, and Yulania Spach are represented in our flora). Molecular phylogenetics show Magnolia virginiana and M. grandiflora as closely related in a New World primarily subtropical clade, M. macrophylla in a clade with its close relatives, M. fraseri and M. pyramidata together, M. acuminata as basal in a clade that is otherwise Asian (equivalent to subgenus Yulania), and M. tripetala grouped in another clade that is otherwise Asian (Azuma et al. 2001). The sections used follow Figlar & Nooteboom (2004).
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Sima & Lu (2012)=Q; Tobe (1998)=Y; Spongberg (1998)=X; Frodin & Govaerts (1996)=V; Palmarola-Bejerano, Romanov, & Bobrov (2008)=U; Azuma, Thien, & Kawano (1999); Azuma et al. (2001); Figlar & Nooteboom (2004); Nooteboom in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993); Kim et al. (2001); Hunt (1998).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: MAGNOL
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Magnoliaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: A.L. de Jussieu 1789
FAMILY COMMON: Magnolia Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 7 genera and 223 species, trees and shrubs, tropical and warm temperate, of e. and se. Asia, and from e. North America south through West Indies and Central America to Brazil.
FAMILY REFERENCE: Nie et al. (2008); Hardin (1972); Hardin & Jones (1989)=Z; Meyer in FNA (1997); Figlar & Nooteboom (2004); Frodin & Govaerts (1996); Nooteboom in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993); Kim et al. (2001).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO:
STEMS:
LEAVES:
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS:
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 60-80 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Tree

LEAF ARRANGEMENT: Alternate
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION: Evergreen

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: Apr-Jun

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
			x	x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR:

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
x

FRUITING PERIOD: Sep-Oct.

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE:
NATIVE RANGE: southeastern United States

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text:

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average, Moist/Wet, Well-drained
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE:
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
690	1985-0329			View
2504	1986-2363			View
3293	1990-0152			View
3785	1991-0480			View
4498	1992-0654			View
5156	1995-0275			View
6190	1995-1322			View
6565	1996-0195			View
7224	1999-0188	1999-12-01		View
8003	2004-0011	2004-02-19		View
8334	2005-0051	2005-04-12		View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
1376	690	153	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
1377	690	175	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
1378	690	176	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
1379	690	178	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
1380	690	179	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
4262	2504	112	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
5470	3293	6	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
6093	3785	199	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
6826	4498	200	NCBG staff	1993-03-01	View
7582	5156	203	NCBG staff	1992-01-01	View
8845	6190	2	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
9272	6565	142	NCBG staff	1996-04-05	View
10173	7224	119	NCBG staff	1999-05-01	View
11249	8003	153	NCBG staff	2003-04-08	View
11606	8334	112	NCBG staff	2005-03-15	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: MAGR4
USDA Common Name: Southern Magnolia
Native Status: L48 (N), PR (I)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA), USA+ (PR)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Tree

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FAC			UPL	FACU	FAC

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

2018 Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina

NHP ID	S RANK	ROUNDED S RANK	G RANK	ROUNDED G RANK	STATE STATUS	FEDERAL STATUS
22005	S2?	S2	G5	G5	W1

This information is derived from the 2018 North Carolina Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species.

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Magnolia grandiflora
COMMON NAME: Southern Magnolia, Bull Bay
SYNONYMY: [= C, Fl, FNA, GW, K, Q, RAB, S, V, Va, Y, Z; {Magnolia s.s.}]
PHENOLOGY: Apr-Jun; Sep-Oct.
HABITAT: Maritime forests, mesic Coastal Plain bluffs and flats, bottomlands, now also widely naturalized, spreading from cultivation into wet to mesic (and even dry) forests.
COMMENTS: The pre-Columbian range was apparently from se. NC south to c. peninsular FL, west to e. TX, largely on the Coastal Plain, now somewhat expanded northward and inland by naturalization from centuries of horticultural planting. Curtis (1860) states that the northern limit of this tree is in Brunswick County, south of the Cape Fear; but it flourishes in cultivation through all the lower part of the State. This is, of course, the classic southern magnolia, along with live oak (Quercus virginiana), and bald-cypress (Taxodium distichum), one of the totem trees of the Deep South.
RANGE MAP: Magnolia grandiflora.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Magnoliaceae A.L. de Jussieu 1789 (Magnolia Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 7 genera and 223 species, trees and shrubs, tropical and warm temperate, of e. and se. Asia, and from e. North America south through West Indies and Central America to Brazil.
REFERENCE: Nie et al. (2008); Hardin (1972); Hardin & Jones (1989)=Z; Meyer in FNA (1997); Figlar & Nooteboom (2004); Frodin & Govaerts (1996); Nooteboom in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993); Kim et al. (2001).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Magnolia L. (Magnolia)
SUMMARY: As treated here, a genus of about 130 species, trees and shrubs, of e. Asia (Himalayas and Sri Lanka to Japan and w. Malaysia) and America (e. North America to West Indies, Central America, and South America); alternate treatments in current use divide Magnolia into as many as 16 genera (of which Magnolia Linnaeus, Houpoea N.H. Xia & C.Y. Wu, Metamagnolia Sima & S.G. Lu, Paramagnolia Sima & S.G. Lu, and Yulania Spach are represented in our flora). Molecular phylogenetics show Magnolia virginiana and M. grandiflora as closely related in a New World primarily subtropical clade, M. macrophylla in a clade with its close relatives, M. fraseri and M. pyramidata together, M. acuminata as basal in a clade that is otherwise Asian (equivalent to subgenus Yulania), and M. tripetala grouped in another clade that is otherwise Asian (Azuma et al. 2001). The sections used follow Figlar & Nooteboom (2004).
REFERENCE: Sima & Lu (2012)=Q; Tobe (1998)=Y; Spongberg (1998)=X; Frodin & Govaerts (1996)=V; Palmarola-Bejerano, Romanov, & Bobrov (2008)=U; Azuma, Thien, & Kawano (1999); Azuma et al. (2001); Figlar & Nooteboom (2004); Nooteboom in Kubitzki, Rohwer, & Bittrich (1993); Kim et al. (2001); Hunt (1998).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Magnolia grandiflora in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Magnolia grandiflora in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Magnolia grandiflora in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Magnolia grandiflora in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Magnolia grandiflora in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Magnolia grandiflora

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 8517 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 8517 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 8276 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 3902 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)