Family: Magnoliaceae
Southern magnolia is a tree with a dense upright habit, growing up to 25 feet tall. Beautiful white flowers are produced in the Spring and Summer. This tree is especially fragrant. The southern magnolia requires a medium amount of maintenance.
Plant Uses:
- Container plant
- Fragrant
- Ornamental
- Privacy / screening
- Specimen
Plant Dangers:
- No dangers
High Risk Traits:
- Naturalized beyond native range (Illinois, USA)
- Widely introduced across multiple continents
- Shade tolerant
- Tolerates wide range of soil conditions
- Produces viable seed
- Self-compatible
- Seeds dispersed by birds
- Seeds survive gut passage
- Potential for water dispersal
- Possibly allelopathic (leaves slow to decay)
Low Risk Traits:
- No spines or thorns
- Not toxic to animals or humans
- Not a fire hazard
- Does not form dense thickets
- No vegetative fragmentation
- No wind dispersal
- No persistent seed bank (>1 year)
- Thin bark (easily damaged, no fire tolerance)
