Southern magnolia

The southern magnolia is well-known throughout the southern United States as a landscaping tree. It is a medium to large evergreen tree with a striking appearance, both in leaf and in bloom. It is also called the bullbay.

The evergreen leaves are simple and broadly ovate, with smooth margins. They are dark green, stiff and leathery, and scurfy underneath. Two extremes are known, with leaves white underneath and with leaves brown underneath. The brown variety is claimed to be more cold-hardy than the white variety, but this does not appear to be proven as yet.

The flowers are very large and creamy white, and fragrant.

The tree may grow to 30 m (100 feet), but is usually considerably smaller in cultivation.

The natural range of the southern magnolia is essentially the southern coastal plain from southern North Carolina to eastern Texas, down into the middle of the Florida peninsula. However, it has been planted up to and even north of the Ohio River. In the northern parts of its range, it may suffer diebacks from very hard freezes, but weathers normal freezes well.