Banner Photo Credit: Public Domain CC by SA 3.0
Family: Magnoliaceae
Latin Name: Magnolia tripetala
Common Name(s): Umbrella Magnolia, Umbrella Tree
Deciduous or Evergreen: Deciduous
Native Range: Appalachian Mountains, Ozarks, and Blue Ridge Mountains
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-8
Mature Height: 15-30’
Mature Spread: 15-30’
Bloom Time: May-June
Native to Minnesota: No
Shade Tolerant: Partial
Photo Credit: Jean-Pol Grandmont CC by 3.0
Description:
Umbrella magnolias are best known for their very large leaves and showy flowers. Leaves are shiny, green, and can grow up to 24” long and 10” wide. They grow in a whorl-pattern from the stem tip and appear to some like the spokes of an umbrella, hence the common name. Flowers are creamy and white with a bowl-like shape and 6-9 petals. They emerge shortly after the leaves in the spring, and many find the smell unpleasant. The flowers are followed by pink and white cone-like fruits that ripen in the fall. The bark is smooth, gray, and thin.
Umbrella magnolias tend to be smaller, understory trees in their native range, but are prized horticulturally because of their unusually large leaves This particular tree was planted by Mike Zins, emeritus professor in the Department of Horticultural Sciences for teaching purposes, and though it is technically only hardy to zone 4, it survives to this day.
Issues:
There are not major issues associated with umbrella magnolias.
Other Resources:
Photo Credit: Bruce Marlin CC by SA 2.5
