Southern Magnolia Flower – Charleston, South Carolina

When the magnolias bloom, you know it’s summer in South Carolina. Large creamy-white blossoms like this one grace the often massive trees so common to our landscape. Their distinctive fragrance can, by itself, make any native Southerner think of home. The Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) is native to this country and can be found from North Carolina down to Florida. It also grows west across the southern border of the US to Texas, and up the west coast all the way to Oregon.

A large tree, it reaches 60-80 feet in height and 30-50 feet in width, generally taking a pyramidal or oval shape. The tops of the evergreen’s leaves are waxy and deep, glossy green. The bottoms are soft and slightly fuzzy – a dull reddish-brown. Its cheery red seeds resemble large kernels of corn.

The magnolia is one of the oldest plants on earth, and various varieties grow across the continents. Another name for the Southern Magnolia is Bull Bay.

Sally Taylor of Gilbert took this lovely photo during the summer of 2009.