Other Names:  Southern Magnolia

Description:

A beautiful flowering accent tree, smothered in large, fragrant, white cup-shaped flowers in spring through summer; large glossy leaves with brown undersides as the name implies, and a neat upright habit of growth; provide supplemental water in dry spells

Ornamental Features

Bracken's Brown Beauty Magnolia is smothered in stunning fragrant white cup-shaped flowers held atop the branches from late spring to late summer. It has dark green foliage with brown undersides. The large pointy leaves turn coppery-bronze in the fall, which persists throughout the winter. The fruits are showy red pods displayed from early to late fall.

Landscape Attributes

Bracken's Brown Beauty Magnolia is a dense evergreen tree with a shapely oval form. Its strikingly bold and coarse texture can be very effective in a balanced landscape composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Bracken's Brown Beauty Magnolia is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Shade
• Hedges/Screening
• Windbreaks and Shelterbelts

Planting & Growing

Bracken's Brown Beauty Magnolia will grow to be about 50 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live to a ripe old age of 100 years or more; think of this as a heritage tree for future generations!

This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in both summer and winter to conserve soil moisture and protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species.