Each month, Pasadena Beautiful Tree Program Chair Emina Darakjy presents a ‘tree of the month’ in order to educate Pasadenans about the trees around them. Many people drive by trees they admire, but have no idea what they are called, or what their growing habits are. Pasadena Beautiful was founded in 1960 by a group of volunteers who saw a need to beautify their city and enhance its tree canopy.
The Southern magnolia is native to the Southeastern United States but adapts easily to other parts of the county and is also planted throughout the world. This tree belongs to the Magnoliaceae family and is considered one of the most beautiful flowering native trees among the earliest flowering plants. Imprints of its flowers were found on fossils dating back 100 million years ago.
The Southern Magnolia is so well liked in the South that it was named the State tree for both Mississippi and Louisiana.
The Southern Magnolia is an evergreen shade tree with a slow to moderate growing habit reaching a height of 50 to 70 feet tall and a spread of 40 to 50 feet. If space is an issue, consider planting other varieties that grow much smaller such as “Little Gem” and “St. Mary.”
The leaves are oval, glossy green on top and bronze-colored and fuzzy underneath.
In late spring and through the summer, large white fragrant flowers six to ten inches across appear. They start as a cup form and open up to resemble saucers. Fruit follows as cone-shaped seed pods split open to reveal small bright shiny red seeds that attract all sorts of songbirds and squirrels.
The tree performs better in full sun and a well-drained soil and does not require much care. If you need to prune, do it after the blooming cycle is over.
The tree tends to develop surface roots as it matures, and the cone pods can be a nuisance when they drop.
You can find magnolias growing as street trees, in one’s garden or in a park. This time of the year, they reward us with their beauty.
The leaves of the magnolia are very durable. Because of their shiny dark green color on top and bronze underneath, they have been used to make gorgeous boughs to decorate stairways, arches, doors, and fireplaces during the holidays.
I would like to share with you some historic facts about a Southern Magnolia tree and our seventh President Andrew Jackson.
In his book America’s Famous and Historic Trees, Jeffrey G. Meyer writes that before running for President, Andrew Jackson and his wife Rachel settled in what they called the “Hermitage” outside of Nashville, Tennessee. The grounds of their estate included several Southern Magnolia trees.
In 1828, Andrew Jackson ran for President and won, but sadly before he was sworn in, his beloved Rached died. To keep her memory alive, he took a seedling of one of her favorite magnolia trees with him to the White House.
In 1829, President Jackson planted this seedling to the rear of the left portico on the White House lawn, where it lived for more than 200 years. Regrettably, the tree was damaged and after decades of trying to save it, including cabling it, the tree was finally cut down in 2018.
Apparently, there are several off springs of this magnolia being grown at an undisclosed location with the hope of replanting one of them again at the White House.
However, this original famous magnolia, still lives on, on the back of the $20 dollar bill with a picture of President Jackson on the front.
