Plant: Bracken's Brown Beauty - Magnolia

Plant description

A compact, dense and cold hardy selection of the native Southern magnolia growing to around 30 feet, with smaller leaves than the species, roughly 6 inches long, glossy dark green above and covered beneath in a striking rusty brown felt. Fragrant creamy white flowers 5 to 6 inches across open in late spring, followed by cone like fruits in fall that release rose red seeds birds and small mammals take. It is winter hardy to zone 6 and tolerates salt, wind, wet soil and urban conditions. Its density makes it one of the better magnolias for a tall evergreen screen. Expect leaf and fruit litter through the year.

Flowers

Fragrant creamy white saucer shaped flowers 5 to 6 inches across open in late spring with sparse summer repeat.

Foliage

Leathery evergreen leaves about 6 inches long, smaller than the species, glossy dark green above with a distinctly rusty brown felted underside.

Fruit

Cone like fruiting clusters ripen in September and October and release rose red coated seeds on slender red threads.

Native range

Southeastern United States, Maryland southwest to Texas and southeast to Florida

Plant details