Magnolia macrophylla Michaux. Subgenus: Magnolia. Section: Macrophylla. Common name: Bigleaf Magnolia. Phenology: May-Jun; Jul-Aug. Habitat: Mesic forests, primarily over limestone, other calcareous sedimentary rocks (calcareous shales, sandstones, etc.), or mafic rocks (east of the Blue Ridge), mesic hammocks in the Coastal Plain. Distribution: S. OH and sw. VA south through e. TN to w. GA, west to AL, MS, n. LA, and se. AR (Sundell et al. 1999); disjunct on Crowleys Ridge in ne. AR (population now extirpated), c. and nc. SC, and e. SC (where probably not native). The range of this species is sometimes stated in such a way as to imply that it is a tree of the southern Blue Ridge, which it barely and marginally enters. Actually, it avoids the Southern Blue Ridge, reaching its greatest abundance in the sedimentary rock Appalachians west of the Blue Ridge, particularly the Cumberland Plateau, and occurs east of the Blue Ridge only as a rare disjunct.
ID notes: The leaves are up to 1.1 meter long and 3.5 dm wide. The large size of the leaves, the small lobes (auricles) at the base of the leaf, and the strongly whitened lower leaf surface separate it from all other species in our flora, except its sister species, Magnolia ashei, which is allopatric (not geographically overlapping) in the FL Panhandle.
Origin/Endemic status: Endemic
Taxonomy Comments: The Gulf Coast endemic Magnolia ashei Weatherby is related and is sometimes treated as a variety or subspecies of M. macrophylla.
Other Comments: See Williams (1999) for additional information about the discovery and nomenclature of this species.
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, F, FNA3, G, K4, NS, NY, POWO, RAB, S, Tn, Va, W, Hardin & Jones (1989), Vázquez-García et al (2016); = Magnolia macrophylla Michx. ssp. macrophylla — Frodin & Govaerts (1996), Spongberg (1998), Tobe (1998); = Metamagnolia macrophylla (Michx.) Sima & S.G.Lu ssp. macrophylla — Sima & Lu (2012); = n/a — Pa; < Magnolia macrophylla Michx. — S13
Links to other floras: = Magnolia macrophylla - FNA3
Heliophily ⓘ: 3
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Horticultural Information
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Height: 30- 40 ft.
plant sale text: Bigleaf magnolia is one of the most beloved specimen trees here at the Garden. It has something to offer in every season: dinner plate sized white blooms in late spring, wonderfully large leaves throughout the growing season. This tree has the largest simple leaves of any tree native to North America! It also has large red fruits in late summer, a brief burst of yellow fall color, and open, intriguing architecture in winter. Not often offered for sale, get one while you can!
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native range: southeastern United States