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magnolia tripetala - umbrella magnolia/umbrella tree/elkwood

Picture
​This tree grows from 30 to 40 feet tall, and is 1 foot in diameter.  This is a tree with very large leaves (10-20 inches long and 5-10 inches wide), very large flowers (7 to 10 inches), and an open crown of spreading branches.  The leaves are clustered terminally, reverse ovate, broadest beyond the middle, not toothed, green above, with silky hairs beneath when young.  The bark is light gray, smooth, and thin.  The flowers are 3, cup-shaped, light green sepals with 6 or 9 shorter white petals.  The flowers have a disagreeable odor.  The fruit is 2.5 to 4 inches long, cone-like, and rose-red.

This is fairly common at low altitudes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  The arrangement of spreading leaves somewhat resembles the ribs of an umbrella.

This tree is found in moist soils of mountain valleys.  It is found in hardwood forests, and flowers in spring.

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  • Home
  • Animals
    • Birds >
      • Avian Taxonomy
      • Bird Species Profiles
    • Mammal Species Profiles
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians >
      • Frog and Toad Species Profiles
    • Fish
    • Arthropods >
      • Arthropod Species Profiles
  • Plants
    • Native Plant Societies
    • Eastern Plant Identification Guide
  • Fungi
    • Fungi Species Profiles
  • Protists
  • Nature Products Store
  • Cell Phone Ringtones
  • Madbird Feeder Cam
  • Ramblings of the Madbird Biologist
  • Bird Videos
  • News in Science
  • Nature Inspired Recipes
  • An Introduction to Scientific Classification and Naming
  • Birds in the Classroom
  • Resources
  • About Me