Magnolias are beautiful flowering trees, that can reach to a height of 80 feet! Scroll down to check various magnolia tree pictures and to learn other interesting facts about these trees.
Magnolia trees are mostly grown for their beautiful flowers. But, apart from these trees having beautiful flowers, another important reason due to which they are preferred are because they are easy to take care of. There are hardly any problems associated with these trees. These trees can be as small as a shrub to as big as 80 feet tall! Here are different pictures of this tree in summer, in spring, its flowers, and fruits.
Origin
The origin of this tree is believed to be from Far East, also this tree was said to have medicinal properties. Settlers in the New World found magnolia trees and gave them as gifts to the European lords. The name of the plant is traced from Pierre Magnol, who was a French botanist from the 17th century. These trees since then have been transplanted all over the world, and appreciated for their beauty and ease of care. Did you know that magnolia is the state flower of Mississippi and Louisiana?
Varieties
There are many magnolia tree varieties. One shrub-like species called ‘Little Gem’ can grow till a height of 20 feet, while other species can tower till 80 feet. If you see Little Gem Magnolia you will observe that it has a dark green foliage and beautiful big white flowers. The Native Southern Magnolia variety is one of the most popular among the American varieties. If you look at the southern magnolia, you will observe this evergreen tree grows up to 50 feet in height. It does well in warmer states and produces white flowers which are 6 – 10 inches in width! These flowers have a very pleasant aroma, the leaves are green, shiny, and small.
Another variety is the Cucumber Magnolia tree which grows quickly and makes a wonderful shade tree. It can be seen from New York to Georgia. It can tolerate cooler climates. This tree gets beautiful yellow blooms, and in June month it will produce pinkish fruit which looks like a cucumber. Did you know that early settlers in US would mix the seeds of this fruit with whiskey and use it for medicinal purposes? There are many Asian varieties of this tree. When you look at the Japanese magnolia, you will see this splendid tree has attractive white, pink, or purple flowers. These trees are small in size and in spring it is covered with so many flowers, that the tree looks entirely covered in pink or white color!
Fruits and Seeds
The fruit of magnolias are very fragrant and looks like a soft cone, it drops seeds which are valued for both their ability of producing new trees or to feed local wildlife. Songbirds are very fond of these seeds and can be seen cracking these cones to eat the kernels within. The fruits are not very tasty, but Southern teas are brewed using the petals of this plant to make fragrant and strong-flavored teas.
Hope you liked the information about magnolias and the various tree pictures displayed above. Contact local growers to get a seed or sapling and grow this tree in your yard, and enjoy the beautiful, fragrant blossoms during spring!