Ashe Magnolia (Magnolia ashei)

Magnolia Family (Magnoliaceae)
Ashe's magnolia is a somewhat shade-tolerant, deciduous shrub to small tree, reaching 20 feet tall usually. The stems are stout, usually crooked, and gray-brown. The branches will grow towards sunlight; thus, it can be just as wide as tall. If in full sun, it will be straighter and taller. Buds are large with silvery silky hairs. The leaves are very large, reaching over 2 feet long. They have lobes at their base and are green above and whitish below. The fragrant, creamy white flowers are large and showy. Each petal has a basal purple spot. Flowers in the spring. It can flower within a few years of germination. The rose- to brown-colored fruit is a cone-like aggregate. Found in rich ravine slope forests, mixed hardwood forests, and river bluffs in the Florida panhandle. Also known as bigleaf magnolia, Ashe’s magnolia, and Magnolia macrophylla subsp. (var.) ashei by some authorities. Listed as endangered by the state of Florida.

Copyright Brett Miley