There are at least l00 species, from East Asia to the Americas, which share the genus name of Magnolia, but the one most familiar to most of us, and the one which is truly an emblem of the South, is Magnolia grandiflora. This is an evergreen tree native to stream and river beds in East Texas and the South which is large in every respect, towering from 60 to 80 feet in height, with leaves that can be as much as a foot in length. The cup-shaped white or cream colored blooms may reach fourteen inches across and are followed by rusty brown cones studded with bright red seeds. Fragrance of the southern magnolia (also known as bull bay) is legendary, and has been described as being as strong as that of jasmine or tuberose, but more delightful.Source:http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/southerngarden/magnolia.html
By Dr. William C. Welch Professor and Landscape Horticulturist
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
