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West Virginia Trees

Chapter 80: UMBRELLA TREE
By A. B. Brooks
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Nature/Gardening/Animals

About This Book

A practical field guide to the native and introduced trees of West Virginia, providing keys based mainly on leaves and fruits, concise family and species descriptions, and detailed line drawings for about 101 native species. It organizes trees by botanical families, gives brief flower notes, a glossary of terms, and suggestions for identifying specimens; occasional introduced species and shrubs are noted. The bulletin emphasizes simplicity for non-specialists, offers measurements and habit descriptions for each species, and includes administrative prefatory material. Its aim is to aid lay readers and students in tree identification and to encourage local interest in forestry.

UMBRELLA TREE

Magnolia tripetala, L.

Form.—Height 25-50 feet, diameter 10-15 inches; trunk straight, with spreading branches which form a broad, round-topped crown.

Leaves.—Alternate, arranged near the ends of the branches in an umbrella-like circle, simple, obovate-lanceolate, pointed at both ends, 12-24 inches long, with short stout petioles, entire, smooth on both sides when old.

Flowers.—Appear in May; perfect, solitary, erect, surrounded by a whorl of leaves, petals creamy white, 4-5 inches long, slightly scented.

Fruit.—Matures in autumn; cylindric or oblong, cone-like, 2-4 inches long, fleshy, composed of numerous rose-colored follicles which split on the back at maturity and liberate small flat, red seeds.

Bark.—Smooth, light gray, sometimes roughened by scattered irregular projections.

Wood.—Light, soft, close-grained, not strong, light brown, with white sapwood.

Range.—Southern Pennsylvania to Georgia, west to northern Mississippi and Arkansas.

Distribution in West Virginia.—Found on swamp borders or along streams in the following counties: Boone, Braxton, Fayette, Kanawha, Logan, McDowell, Mingo, Nicholas, Randolph, Raleigh, Upshur, Webster, Wyoming.

Habitat.—Prefers rich soil of streams and swamps.

Notes.—The Umbrella Magnolia is chiefly valuable as an ornamental tree. It is especially attractive in autumn when the bright, rose-colored fruits are mature.