How to identify magnolia types

Magnolias (*Magnolia* spp.) are among the oldest flowering plant genera, with a fossil record extending over 95 million years. The species grown in North American gardens range from massive evergreen trees to small, early-blooming deciduous shrubs. The genus is large and diverse, but a handful of.

Magnolias (Magnolia spp.) are among the oldest flowering plant genera, with a fossil record extending over 95 million years. The species grown in North American gardens range from massive evergreen trees to small, early-blooming deciduous shrubs. The genus is large and diverse, but a handful of consistent features define it — and the commonly grown species are separated by bloom time, leaf persistence, and flower color.

Genus-level features

Per Missouri Botanical Garden, magnolias are identified at the genus level by:

• Large, conspicuous flowers with multiple tepals (petals and sepals that look alike, not differentiated)
• Primitive floral structure: No true petals or sepals in the technical sense. Flowers emerged before bees; they are pollinated by beetles
• Cone-like aggregate fruits that turn red, orange, or pink at maturity and release seeds on red threads
• Large, simple, alternate leaves on most species, with a stipular scar that wraps around the twig

The stipular ring scar on the twig (a faint circular mark encircling the twig at each node) is a reliable winter ID feature shared by all magnolias.