Height: 30' to 40' Spread: 30' to 40' Light Needs: full sun to part shade Water: medium to moist Flower color: white Bloom time: May to June
The bigleaf magnolia has largest simple leaf and the largest flower of any tree native to the United States. The leaf can grow to three feet long. Its fragrant flowers can be 8-14 inches in diameter. Plant this tree in a site that is protected from strong winds that can shred the leaves. It is reported to take twelve years or more to bloom. Birds love the small red fruits that develop in cone-like structures. Beetles and flies are the primary pollinators but hummingbirds and other insects may take nectar from the flowers. Eastern tiger swallowtail larvae use this tree as a host. Fruit-eating birds eat fruits.
