Magnolia grandiflora , commonly known as the southern magnolia or bull bay , is a tree diagram of the family Magnoliaceae . The tree diagram is found on the sharpness of bodies of water and swamps , in affiliation with sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua ) , piss oak ( Quercus nigra ) , and black tupelo ( Nyssa sylvatica ) . In more sheltered habitats , it develop into a prominent tree , but can be a low shrub when found on coastal sand dune .
Fossil records show that the genus Magnolia has be for over 36 million years , with some estimates placing it as far back as 58 million years ago . The magnolia family is one of the oldest inflorescence plant families on Earth , and its presence can be traced to various regions across the earth .
The Southern Magnolia tree diagram , in finical , is native to the southeasterly United States from Virginia to key Florida , and Rebecca West to East Texas . The tree was first get word by Europeans in 1688 and was later identify after Pierre Magnol , a French botanist . The tree ’s hardiness and adaptability to the southerly mood made it a pop choice for finish , and it has since become a symbol of the part .
The Southern Magnolia tree has also been cultivated in Asia , Europe and the Americas for centuries . The tree ’s beautiful flowers and its power to withstand hurricanes and fires have made it a darling specie for both its aesthetical and practical qualities .
The oldest Southern Magnolia standing today is on Washington State Park in Washington , Arkansas . The tree is tell to have been set near an important road conjunction in 1839 by Gen. Grandison D. Royston . It was near a blacksmith shop where Jim Bowie fashion his famous knife .
southerly magnolias , in particular , are known for their leaf and fruit litter , which make for a less manicured appearance and and an increase demand for clean - up . Their reputation as mussy trees is promoted by their loss of foliage throughout the class .
Known as an aesthetically charming unofficial congresswoman of the southern United States , the Southern magnolia is also an prescribed representative of Mississippi . In 1900 , students from Mississippi vote the southerly magnolia in as the state bloom , a decision that was formally passed by legislature in 1952 . In 1938 , schoolchildren again voted for the Southern magnolia , this time as their state tree diagram , and statute law was passed make it the official Department of State tree of Mississippi . The tree has also been used in various cultural and spiritual practice session , with its flowers often being link with purity and dignity .
