Magnolia tripetala (Linnaeus) Linnaeus. Subgenus: Magnolia. Section: Rytidospermum. Common name: Umbrella Magnolia, Umbrella-tree. Phenology: Apr-May; Jul-Oct. Habitat: Mesic forests, ravines. Distribution: Centered in the Southern Appalachians, but avoiding higher elevations, and therefore occurring primarily "around" the Blue Ridge; ranging from sc. and sw. PA, s. OH, s. IN south to SC, GA, Panhandle FL (Tobe 2007), AL, and MS; also disjunct in the Ouachita Mountains of c. AR and e. OK.
Origin/Endemic status: Endemic
Taxonomy Comments: Most closely related to several e. Asian species.
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, F, Fl2, FNA3, G, K4, Mo3, NE, NS, NY, Pa, POWO, RAB, S, S13, Tn, Va, W, WH3, WV, Frodin & Govaerts (1996), Hardin & Jones (1989), Spongberg (1998), Tobe (1998); = Houpoea tripetala (L.) Sima & S.G.Lu — Sima & Lu (2012); = Magnolia virginiana L. var. tripetala L. = n/a — Tat. Basionym: Magnolia virginiana L. var. tripetala L. 1753
Links to other floras: = Magnolia tripetala - FNA3
Show parent genus | Show parent in key(s)
Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU
- Great Plains: FAC
- Midwest: FACU
- Northcentral & Northeast: FACU
Heliophily ⓘ: 3
Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.
© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷Feedback
See something wrong or missing on about Magnolia tripetala? Let us know here: (Please include your name and email if at all complicated so we can clarify if needed.) We greatly appreciate feedback, and will include updates from you in our next webapp update, which can take a few months. If a species is not keyed, that's because keying is ongoing. Please don't send us feedback about unkeyed species.
Horticultural Information
Intro:
Stems: Pith continuous. Young twigs (1-year-old or less) green or reddish-brown, glabrous. Twigs (2-4 years old) glabrous. Leaf scars oval or round, bundle scars numerous, stipule scars present, stipule scars circumferential. Bark of mature trunks furrowed or smooth. Buds axillary or terminal, gray or green or purple or reddish-brown, 5-40 mm long, globose or lanceoloid, blunt or sharp, glabrous, bud scales single scale.
Leaves: Leaves deciduous, simple, petiolate, alternate, (10-)20-60(-70) cm long, (7-)10-30 cm wide, oblanceloate or oblong or obovate or oval, leaf margins entire, leaf apices acuminate or acute or apiculate, leaf bases attenuate or cuneate. Leaf upper surface green, glabrous. Leaf lower surface gray or green or white, glabrate or pubescent, pilose. Leaf venation pinnate. Petioles 2-4 cm long. Stipules present, (40-)66-94(-100) mm long, caducous, blade-like, circumferential.
Inforescence: Inflorescences terminal, flowers solitary, flowers stalked. Flowers bisexual, hypogynous.
Flowers: Perianth. Calyx radially symmetric, aposepalous. Sepals 3 per flower, 80-150 mm long, 30-40 mm wide, reflexed, green or white, obovate or spatulate. Corolla radially symmetric, apopetalous. Petals 6-9 per flower, 80-120(-140) mm long, spreading, cream or white, oblanceolate or obovate or ovate, petal apices acute or rounded, caducous. Androecium. Stamens 81-103(-115) per flower, separate. Gynoecium. Ovaries superior, pistils (45-)53-66(-73) per flower. Gynoecium apocarpous, (45-)53-66(-73) carpels per flower, styles 1 per pistil, placentation marginal. Other floral features. Receptacles cone-like.
Fruits: Fruits accessory fruits or aggregate fruits or follicles, 6-15(-19) cm long, pink or red, fruit maturation 1 years.
Comments: Leaves usually clustered toward the ends of the branches in an umbrella-like circle; flowers with a disagreeable odor; fruit a cone-like aggregate of follicles.
Height: 30-40 ft.
plant sale text: Umbrella magnolia is named for the whorl-like clusters of large leaves at the tips of the branches that resemble the spokes of an umbrella. Similar to bigleaf magnolia, this species of deciduous magnolia has very large white blooms in late spring and large red fruits in late summer. To prevent damage to the large leaves, plant this species in areas that are protected from strong winds. Not often offered for sale, get one while you can!
bloom table text:
description:
stems: Pith continuous. Young twigs (1-year-old or less) green or reddish-brown, glabrous. Twigs (2-4 years old) glabrous. Leaf scars oval or round, bundle scars numerous, stipule scars present, stipule scars circumferential. Bark of mature trunks furrowed or smooth. Buds axillary or terminal, gray or green or purple or reddish-brown, 5-40 mm long, globose or lanceoloid, blunt or sharp, glabrous, bud scales single scale.
leaves: Leaves deciduous, simple, petiolate, alternate, (10-)20-60(-70) cm long, (7-)10-30 cm wide, oblanceloate or oblong or obovate or oval, leaf margins entire, leaf apices acuminate or acute or apiculate, leaf bases attenuate or cuneate. Leaf upper surface green, glabrous. Leaf lower surface gray or green or white, glabrate or pubescent, pilose. Leaf venation pinnate. Petioles 2-4 cm long. Stipules present, (40-)66-94(-100) mm long, caducous, blade-like, circumferential.
inflorescence: Inflorescences terminal, flowers solitary, flowers stalked. Flowers bisexual, hypogynous.
flowers: Perianth. Calyx radially symmetric, aposepalous. Sepals 3 per flower, 80-150 mm long, 30-40 mm wide, reflexed, green or white, obovate or spatulate. Corolla radially symmetric, apopetalous. Petals 6-9 per flower, 80-120(-140) mm long, spreading, cream or white, oblanceolate or obovate or ovate, petal apices acute or rounded, caducous. Androecium. Stamens 81-103(-115) per flower, separate. Gynoecium. Ovaries superior, pistils (45-)53-66(-73) per flower. Gynoecium apocarpous, (45-)53-66(-73) carpels per flower, styles 1 per pistil, placentation marginal. Other floral features. Receptacles cone-like.
fruits: Fruits accessory fruits or aggregate fruits or follicles, 6-15(-19) cm long, pink or red, fruit maturation 1 years.
comments: Leaves usually clustered toward the ends of the branches in an umbrella-like circle; flowers with a disagreeable odor; fruit a cone-like aggregate of follicles.
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range: eastern United States
0 unsaved edits on this page.