Magnolia fraseri

Description

Fraser's magnolia (named after the Scottish botanist John Fraser) is a small, deciduous tree growing to 14 m (40 ft) tall, as a basal-branching, fragrant plant, with brown bark with a "warty" or "scaly" texture. The leaves are quite large, 15–25 cm (rarely up to 53 cm) long and 8–18 cm (rarely up to 29 cm) broad, with a pair of auricles (or "ear-lobes") at the base and an entire margin; they are green above and glaucous blue-green below. The showy white flowers are 16–25 cm in diameter with nine tepals; they open in late spring or early summer, after the foliage. The fruit is a woody, oblong, cone-like structure (like all magnolias) 6.5–12 cm long, covered in small, pod-like follicles each containing one or two red seeds that hang out from the cone by a slender thread when ripe. A good seed crop occurs only about every 4–5 years. Reproduction is accomplished by both seed and vegetative sprouts. The fruit is eaten by wildlife, helping disperse the seeds. In the Appalachian Mountains, Fraser's Magnolia is a popular nest tree for the northern flying squirrel.

The tree grows best on rich, moist, well-drained soil. The very large showy white flowers and large-leaved, coarse-textured foliage make it an attractive ornamental tree, but otherwise it has little commercial value. It is sometimes cultivated in North America as a native alternative to exotic magnolias and can be grown a considerable distance north of its natural range if given conditions favorable to its growth.

There are two varieties:

• Magnolia fraseri var. fraseri, native to the Appalachian Mountains.
• Magnolia fraseri var. pyramidata (Bartram) Pampanini, from the Coastal Plain. The vernacular name for this variety is pyramid magnolia.

Gallery

File:Magnoliafraseri rt1.jpg|M. fraseri in young forest. File:Magnoliafraseri rt2.jpg|M. fraseri flower and foliage. File:Magnolia fraseri 2.jpg|Magnolia fraseri flower bud and emerging leaves. File:Magnolia fraseri bud.jpg|Magnolia fraseri maturing fruit.

References

1. Khela, S.. (2014). "''Magnolia fraseri''".
2. "Plant Name Details for ''Magnolia fraseri''". [[International Plant Names Index.
3. (2004). "Nest Tree Use by the Endangered Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel in the Central Appalachian Mountains". American Midland Naturalist.
4. "''Magnolia fraseri'' Walter".