Magnolia tripetala
Common name: 
Umbrella Magnolia
Umbrella Tree
Elkwood
Pronunciation: 
mag-NO-li-a tri-PET-a-la
Family: 
Magnoliaceae
Genus: 
Magnolia
Type: 
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Deciduous tree or shrub, 20-30(40) ft, [6-9(12) m].  Leaves simple, oblong-obovate, very large (25-60 cm long, 15-25 cm wide) coarse, tend to cluster at end of branches. Creamy-white, solitary, flowers, 15-25 cm across, 6-9(12) tepals, and unpleasantly fragrant.
  • Hardy to USDA Zone 6      Native from southern Pennsylvania to northern Georgia and Alabama to Kentucky and Arkansas, growing in deep, moist soil in forests along mountain streams or swamp margins.
  • Magnolia: after Pierre Magnol (1638-1715), professor of botany at Montpellier. tripetala: with three petals, the name was selected by Linnaeus but it is not botanically correct. The flower of this species has 6 or more petals (inner tepals).  Apparently the name refers to the three petaloid sepals (outer tepals) which are pale green and reflexed (Callaway, 1994).
  • Oregon State Univ. campus: in protected area north of Bexell
Click image to enlarge
  • plant habit, summer

    plant habit, summer

  • plant habit

    plant habit

  • leaves

    leaves

  • "umbrella" of leaves

    "umbrella" of leaves

  • flower buds

    flower buds

  • flower and leaves

    flower and leaves

  • leaves and flower

    leaves and flower

  • leaves and immature fruit cluster

    leaves and immature fruit cluster

  • ripe fruit and leaves

    ripe fruit and leaves

  • leaves, fall

    leaves, fall

  • trunk, bark

    trunk, bark