Magnolia is the name of a group of trees and shrubs that grow in the Americas and in Asia. Eight of the 80 kinds grow wild in the eastern United States. These eight and others are commonly cultivated. Magnolias have large flowers, conelike fruits, and large leaves.
The southern magnolia is popular because of its large whitish flowers. This evergreen is native from North Carolina to Florida and west to Texas. It is the state tree and flower of Mississippi and the state flower of Louisiana. Sweetbay, also called swamp magnolia, has smaller flowers and leaves. Its leaves are green on top and whitish underneath.
The leaves of the umbrella tree and the big-leaf magnolia tend to stretch out from the ends of the branches like the ribs of an open umbrella. The big-leaf magnolia has the largest flowers of any tree native to the United States. They measure about 10 inches (25 centimeters) across and are creamy-white. The big-leaf magnolia also has the biggest undivided leaves, which are 15 to 32 inches (38 to 81 centimeters) long and up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) wide.
The saucer magnolia is an ornamental tree that has been widely planted in the United States. It is a hybrid of two Asian magnolias and has many light to dark pink flowers. Magnolia lumber is used mainly for furniture. The cucumber tree, a magnolia that gets its name from the shape of its fruits, has wood similar to that of the yellow-poplar.
