SOUTHERN MAGNOLIA (Magnolia grandiflora) is also called Evergreen Magnolia, Big Laurel, Bull Bay, Great Laurel Magnolia, and Loblolly Magnolia. It is a native large tree to 135 ft and is in the Magnoliaceae. The bark is grayish brown, smooth but breaking into small thin scales with age. The twigs are stout, green to olive, hairy when young but becoming glabrous with age. The leaves are evergreen and the blade leathery, elliptic to oval, 5-8" long, 2-3" wide, apex acute or obtuse, base cuneate, and the margins somewhat revolute. The upper surface is dark green, distinctly lustrous and glabrous while the lower surface is reddish brown pubescent. The twigs and leaves are aromatic when crushed. The flowers are large, white, aromatic, and 6-9" wide. The brown fruit is 2-4" long. It is the state flower of Louisiana and the state flower and tree of Mississippi. The creamy white wood is hard, fairly heavy, weak, is not durable, weighs 32 lb per cu ft, and turns brown upon exposure. It is used for fuel, baskets, crates, woodenware, furniture, shades, veneer, cabinets, and decorative trim. The seeds provide food to squirrels and five species of birds. The bark has been used medicinally as a stimulant, tonic, and diaphoretic. The fragrant seeds are sometimes used for flavoring salads. It has been in cultivation since 1734. It is found in moist to well drained soils (FAC+) along streams often associated with American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) and is more common in southern Louisiana. The twigs have a stipular ring scar at the base of each leaf. The leaves are alternate, simple, and with pinnate major veins. The blade margins are entire. The flowers are solitary, large, and with many free parts. The fruit is an aggregate (cone like) of follicles with red seeds. The current reports include 54 parishes; some reports could be from cultivated trees. Picture of fruit from Yale nature walk; naturewalk.yale.edu and flower picture by Jeff McMillian from Almost Eden. Several small Magnolia grandiflora on Allen Acres. Caterpillars of the sweetbay silk moth are reported to eat this species and four swallowtail butterflies plus 8 moth species are reported to eat the genus Magnolia. Interesting that most (maybe all) southern states have a town or location (some more than one) named Magnolia. Reported from 56 parishes