Magnolia Tree

A genus having 210 species, the magnolia tree inhabits different parts of America and Asia. These flowering plants belong to the Magnoliaceae family and Magnolioideae sub-family. The genus magnolia was named after Pierre Magnol, a French botanist. One of the specialty of magnolia flowers is that they don't have distinct petals or sepals.

Magnolia Tree Facts

The common magnolia tree types are 'Star' and 'Saucer' magnolia. Saucer magnolia is also known as Japanese Magnolia tree. Let us take a look at some magnolia tree facts and care that one should take during their cultivation. The scientific classification of Magnolia is given below.

Magnolia Classification

Kingdom - Plantae

Division - Magnoliophyta

Class - Magnoliopsida

Family - Magnoliaceae

Genus - Magnolia

Here are some facts about magnolia trees.

• Magnolia is one of the ancient species of plants. The 20 million year old fossils of magnolia prove their antiquity.
• Specialty of the magnolia flowers is that they have strong petals. These petals are strong enough to prevent any kind of damage from the beetles which help in pollination.
• Charles Plumier, a French botanist provided the description of a flowering plant found on the Martinique island in 1703. The plant which was known as 'talauma' in the local language was named Magnolia after Pierre Magnol.
• 'Systema naturae' was the book in which Carl Linnaeus adopted the name, 'Magnolia' (in the year 1735).
• An interesting fact about Magnolia grandiflora is that it generally grows into a big tree. However, those plants found in coastal areas are no bigger than shrubs.

Southern Magnolia
The Southern magnolia trees grow up to a height of 27.5 m. This plant is known by their botanical name, Magnolia grandiflora. It is mostly found in southeastern United States and specifically in the following regions: Arkansas, Texas, south to central Florida and coastal Virginia. This tree is characterized by fragrant, white flowers and dark green leaves. Leaves are 5 - 8 inches long while their shape is ovate. These trees start producing seeds by 10 years. By the time they reach 25 years of age, the capacity to produce maximum number of seeds is attained.

Japanese Magnolia Tree
The Japanese magnolia trees either have purple, pink or white blooms. The botanical name of the Japanese magnolia is Magnolia obovata. It is found in Japan and the Kurile islands of Russia. The tree grows up to a height of 15 - 30 feet. Leaves of this plant are 16 - 38 cm in length and their width varies between 9 - 20 cm. The light and strong wood of Japanese magnolia has great demand in the market.

Magnolia Tree Care

It is quite easy to care for Magnolia trees because pests don't cause much damage to them. Soil to be chosen for growing magnolias should preferably be acidic. Enough spacing between adjacent trees needs to be maintained for their healthy growth. Propagation of the magnolia is carried out by means of bulbs. Planting of bulbs should be done by the end of summer season. A hole which is 2 - 3 times the size of bulbs needs to be dug out and then the bulb should be placed inside. One should keep watering the bulbs at regular intervals till the onset of monsoon. Only after it has rained enough, watering should be stopped. Plants need to be nourished with fertilizers every month. Magnolia reaches maturity by the age of 10 years. Pruning is carried out for shaping the tree and also to remove unhealthy and weaker branches which may develop various magnolia tree diseases. Trimming the side branches helps in giving the tree a conical shape. Here is a list of varieties that one should consider for growing.

Varieties	Tree Form	Flower Specifications
M. Stellata (Centennial)	Star	White flowers
M. x soulangiana (Alexandrina)	Saucer	Rose flowers
M. stellata (Rosea)	Star	Pink flowers
M. x soulangiana (Lilliputian)	Saucer	Small pink flowers
M. x soulangiana (Brozzonii)	Saucer	White and large flowers

Cultivation of magnolia trees can be done without much trouble, if the instructions presented above, are followed. Magnolia trees which are planted around the house, provide us with enough shade and also have a heavenly fragrance. One should thus, try to gain as much information as possible about this wonderful flowering tree.