Monthly Archives: April 2016

Magnolia, Tree Species

Magnolia macrophylla

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MgnMacrDistThe scientific name of the bigleaf magnolia is the Magnolia macrophylla.
The bigleaf magnolia on campus is located on the pathway between Colton Chapel and Pardee. It is recognizable by its very large leaves. In the wild these leaves can range from 12 to 32 inches long and 7 to 12 inches wide. The leaves tend to be larger when the tree is found in the wild, but even as a landscape tree the leaves are still impressively sized.

MgnMacrTemp
Starting around 12 to 15 years, this magnolia develops flowers from May to July, later than most magnolias on campus. The flowers are white with some rose at the base, and can be 8 to 12 inches in diameter. Like many magnolias, the scent of the flower is pleasant.
The overall tree can reach heights of 30 to 40 feet with a 20 to 30 feet spread.

MgnMacrPrec
The bigleaf magnolia can do survive in zones 5 through 8, although is natively found in a much more limited range in the southern portion of the United States. It tends to do well with some shade or full sun. Soil should be well-drained, and the bigleaf magnolia cannot survive with wet soil or droughts.

MgnMacrAlt
Due to its pickiness, in captivity, the bigleaf magnolia can have a short lifespan. In fact, one of the trunks of the bigleaf magnolia on campus had to be removed recently due to rotting.

Acer, Tree Species

Acer rubrum

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AcRubDist

The red maple, Acer rubrum, is also known by many other names, such as but not limited to the scarlet maple, the swamp maple, and the soft maple. It can and does natively grow over a large range and is one of the most abundant and widespread trees in eastern North America. Compared to other maples, it has a wider range of climate tolerance, and it can live in zones 3 to 9.

AcRubTemp It is also not picky about soils or parent material, moisture, nutrients, and pH levels. Perhaps it is due to this adaptability that it can be found in more extreme soil-moisture conditions, where other trees cannot. Furthermore, it easily develops more specialized root systems based on soil conditions in its current location. Its preferred locations, however, are moist, moderately well-drained sites at low to intermediate elevations.

AcRubPrec The red maple produces small, red to yellow flowers from March to May starting at 4 years of age. Some trees are entirely male, others female, and others are monoecious, usually with alternating functionality on branches.
The red maple is often used as a shade tree. It can grow between 60 to 90 feet in height, though the largest known red maple is 125 feet tall with a trunk circumference of 16.25 feet.

AcRubAlt On campus are three different cultivars of red maple, namely, ‘Red sunset,’ ‘October glory,’ and ‘Armstrong.’ They can be found by the Williams Center for the Arts, near Farinon, and on the path between Colton Chapel and Pardee. They are notable for their bright red fall coloring.

 

Sources

Walters, Russell S. and Harry W. Yawney. “Red Maple.” Silvics of North America. Ed. Russell M. Burns and Barbara H. Honkala. Washington, DC: Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture, December 1990. 60-69. Print.

“Acer rubrum.” Missouri Botanical Garden. Missouri Botanical Garden, n.d. Web. 14 April 2016.