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Southern magnolia

Magnolia grandiflora

Climate-suitable non-native

Growing guidance

Horticultural figures below are practitioner estimates for planning, pending expert review. The botanical record further down is sourced and verifiable.

Current-climate suitability

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Future-climate resilience

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Sun

Full sun

Soil moisture

average, moisture-retentive

Heat tolerance

Up to about 42°C

Cold tolerance

Down to about -15°C

Waterlogging tolerance

3/5

Drought tolerance

3/5

Mature size

6–15 m tall, 8 m spread

Seasonal interest

Summer · Cream

Maintenance

medium

Wildlife supported

General wildlife value 3/5 (verified species relationships are shown only where structured data exists)

Known risks or warnings

Heavy leaf drop; needs space and moisture when young.

Toxicity: mild

Verified botanical record

Accepted scientific name
Magnolia grandiflora L.
Family
Magnoliaceae (Magnoliales)
Rank and status
species · accepted
GBIF record
Taxon 9605163

Recorded as introduced in: Arkansas, Assam, Belgium, Bogotá, D.C., Canary Is., Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Himalaya, France, Great Britain, Italy, Juan Fernández Is. and 10 further regions

Ranges are exactly as recorded in the GBIF source checklists and may be incomplete for widely cultivated species.

Magnolia grandiflora, commonly known as the southern magnolia or bull bay, is a flowering tree in the family Magnoliaceae native to the Southeastern United States coastal plain, from Virginia to central Florida, and west to East Texas. Reaching 27.5 m (90 ft) in height, it is a large, striking evergreen tree, with large, dark-green leaves up to 20 cm (7+3⁄4 in) long and 12 cm (4+3⁄4 in) wide, and large, white, fragrant flowers up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter. Although endemic to the evergreen lowland subtropical forests on the Gulf and South Atlantic coastal plain, M. grandiflora is widely cultivated in warmer areas around the world. The timber is hard and heavy, and has been used commercially to make furniture, pallets, and veneer.

Description from Wikipedia — Magnolia grandiflora (CC BY-SA), shortened and unedited in substance.

Native status and geographic context

  • United Kingdom: climate-suitable
  • United States: native
  • Australia: climate-suitable

Native status is never inferred from climate similarity. Plants restricted or invasive in a jurisdiction are excluded from recommendations there.

Demonstration data. Climate, plant and retailer records shown here are realistic samples awaiting horticultural validation and live data connections.