''Magnolia macrophylla'', the bigleaf magnolia, is a

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, a ...

magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendro ...

native to the southeastern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

and eastern

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

. This species boasts the largest simple

leaf A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

and single

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

of any native plant in North America.

Classification

''Magnolia macrophylla'' has three subspecies; some botanists treat these plants as three separate

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

: *''Magnolia macrophylla'' subsp. ''macrophylla''. Bigleaf magnolia. Southeastern United States. Secure. Tree to 20 m; leaves 50–90 cm long, fruit 4–10 cm long with more than 50 carpels. *''Magnolia macrophylla'' subsp. ''ashei'' (Wetherby) Spongberg. Ashe magnolia. Northwest

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...

. Shrub or small tree to 12 m; leaves 25–60 cm long, fruit 4–5 cm long with less than 50 carpels. Considered by some botanists to be a distinct species, ''Magnolia ashei.'' *''Magnolia macrophylla'' subsp. ''dealbata'' (Zuccarini) J. D. Tobe. Mexican bigleaf magnolia, Cloudforest magnolia, or ''eloxochitl.'' Mexico (

Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coahuila, a town in the north Mexican state of Coahuila * Hidalgo, Nuevo Le� ...

Oaxaca ) , population_note = , population_rank = 10th , timezone1 = CST , utc_offset1 = −6 , timezone1_DST = CDT , utc_offset1_DST = −5 , postal_code_type = Postal ...

and

Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...

, in

cloud forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud ...

s). Tree to 20 m; leaves 30–60 cm long, fruit 8–15 cm long with more than 70 carpels. Considered by some botanists to be a distinct species, ''

Magnolia dealbata ''Magnolia dealbata'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Magnoliaceae, native to Mexico. It is known commonly as the cloudforest magnolia and ''eloxochitl''. It is sometimes considered to be a subspecies of '' Magnolia macrophylla,'' w ...

.''

Description

The bigleaf magnolia is a medium-sized understory

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

15–20 m tall. This species is distinguished from other magnolias by the large

size, 25–80 cm long and 11–30 cm broad. The largest leaf to be reported by a credible source is 3 ft 8 in (110 centimeters) in length. in addition to a six inch (15 centimeter) petiole. The leaf's width can be up to eighteen inches (45 centimeters). The tree's branches often bend under the weight of this heavy foliage. The flowers are typically six or nine-petaled (two or three whorls of three petals each, the larger ones with a dime-sized purple blotch at the base). The flower has as many as 580 stamens and is typically about sixteen inches (41 centimeters) wide, although there have been specimens as large as 21.5 inches (55 centimeters) in width. It is the largest temperate (non-tropical) flower in the world. This, like all Magnolias, is beetle pollinated. The fruit is a cone-like cluster of achenes.

Bee Mortality

At the Arnold Arboretum, dead bees have been observed inside Bigleaf magnolia flowers.

Distribution and habitat

Bigleaf magnolia is found in rich

mesic Mesic may refer to: * Mesic, North Carolina, a town in the United States * Mesic habitat, a type of habitat See also *Mesić (disambiguation) *Mešić Mešić is a Bosnian surname, a patronymic derived from the masculine given name '' Meša'', it ...

woods; any disturbance that lets more light reach the ground is beneficial to the establishment of bigleaf magnolia, but despite its relatively fast growth-rate when stimulated by more light, other understory and canopy trees/seedlings are usually able to outgrow and out-compete it. This suits the plant just fine as it is tolerant of low light levels; it does not need full sun to survive once established (however, it does not tolerate full shade). Natural regeneration is quite limited due to the scarcity of mature, seed-bearing plants and the fact that this tree's population mostly consists of widely scattered individuals. In addition, this species is plagued by poor seed set (most likely from limiting factors mentioned above) and low seed

viability Viability is the ability of a thing (a living organism, an artificial system, an idea, etc.) to maintain itself or recover its potentialities. Viability or viable may refer to: Biology, medicine or ecology * Viability selection, the selection of ...

, a trait shared by its cousin and frequent associate in the wild in

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, ...

, the ''

Fraser magnolia ''Magnolia fraseri'', commonly known as Fraser magnolia, mountain magnolia, earleaf cucumbertree, or mountain-oread, is a species of magnolia native to the south-eastern United States in the southern Appalachian Mountains and adjacent Atlantic an ...

.'' The Ashe magnolia is a rare shrub, exceptionally a small tree, that is found only along the bluffs and ravines adjacent to the Apalachicola River in

, along with several other rare plants unique to the area, such as Florida Yew and Florida torreya. It resembles the typical subsp. ''macrophylla'', but has shorter, broader leaves, smaller

s, and longer

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...

s. The flowers bloom in late spring, and are white with rose-purple blotches on the inner tepals. The fruit is eaten by wildlife, but because of the plant's scarceness, it does not form a significant portion of any creature's

diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake ** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...

. In the southeastern United States, especially

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

and surrounding areas, ''Magnolia macrophylla'' is sometimes called the "cowcumber magnolia," in contrast with the much smaller-leaved cucumber-tree magnolia, ''M. acuminata.''

Threats

Collection, both legal and illegal, may have an adverse impact on this tree's population due to low

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

, and high collection pressure can

extirpate Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...

this species locally. Bigleaf magnolia is listed as

threatened Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensa ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...

and

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the ...

and

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

. The Florida Department of Agriculture lists the Ashe magnolia as

, due to its small population and restricted range. The Mexican bigleaf magnolia is also endangered, by loss of habitat.

Cultivation

Bigleaf magnolia is often short-lived under cultivation unless its rather demanding requirements are met. This tree likes loose, undisturbed rich mesic soil (or mulch and compost substitutes) in full sun or part shade with moist, well-drained soil and a low pH. This tree will likely succeed in sites that closely mimic its natural habitat and where it is protected from strong wind that can tatter its large foliage. It can be grown farther north than its southerly range suggests, but needs watering during extended dry periods. This plant is generally problem-free.

Gallery

File:Bigleaf Magnolia Magnolia macrophylla Leaf 2500px.jpg, A single large leaf File:Bigleaf Magnolia Magnolia macrophylla Sapling 1550px.jpg, A sapling File:Magnolia macrophylla bigleaf magnolia.JPG, Naturalized tree File:Magnolia macrophyla ssp. ashei flower.jpg, ''Magnolia macrophylla'' ssp. ''ashei'' open flower File:Magnolia macrophylla ssp. ashei.jpg, ''Magnolia macrophylla'' ssp. ''ashei'' flower detail File:Magnolia macrophyla ssp. ashei fruit.jpg, ''Magnolia macrophylla'' ssp. ''ashei'' mature fruit File:Magnolia macrophylla ssp. macrophylla.jpg, ''Magnolia macrophylla'' ssp. ''macrophylla'' bud break File:Magnolia macrophylla ssp. macrophylla flower.jpg, ''Magnolia macrophylla'' ssp. ''macrophylla'' open flower File:Magnolia macrophylla ssp. macrophylla fruit.jpg, ''Magnolia macrophylla'' ssp. ''macrophylla'' mature fruit File:Magnolia macrophylla tree AA.jpg, ''Magnolia macrophylla'' ssp. ''macrophylla'' 1989 accession (#960-89*A), Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University File:Magnolia macrophylla ssp. macrophylla leaves.jpg, ''Magnolia macrophylla'' ssp. ''macrophylla'' leaves in fall

References

External links

''Magnolia macrophylla'' images at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Plant Image Database
*Hetman, Jon
"Magnolia macrophylla".
Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University website, 13 May 2019. Accessed 20 April 2020. *Friedman, William (Ned
"Killer magnolias".
'Posts from the Collections,'' Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University website, 20 July 2019. Accessed 20 April 2020.

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20080604141716/http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/frame/mama2.htm ''Magnolia macrophylla'' images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edubr>Field Guide to the Rare Plants and Animals of Florida Online: Magnolia asheiInteractive Distribution Map of ''Magnolia macrophylla''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1093540 Magnolia, macrophylla Endangered flora of the United States Trees of Northeastern Mexico Trees of the Southeastern United States Garden plants of North America Ornamental trees