Plant types

Plant styles

Planting conditions

Seasonal interest

Nurseries & Gardens

Photo by Bruce Marlin

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.

Show all photos

Magnolia tripetala

Also Known As

Umbrella Magnolia
Umbrella Magnolia Tree

Plant type

tree

size

H: 20'-40'
W: 20'-40'

planting zones

5a-8b

More Options

Magnolia tripetala plant details

Magnolia tripetala is a broadleaf deciduous tree with green foliage. In spring and summer white flowers emerge followed by green and red fruit. Attracts birds. Grows well with sun - mostly shade and even moisture - occasional water. Adapts to various soil conditions. Does well in acidic, rich and well-drained soil.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Magnolia tripetala

Plant type: tree
Plant family: magnoliaceae
Foliage: deciduous green
Mature size: 20 FT - 40 FT - wide, 20 FT - 40 FT - tall
Flowers: white blooms in spring and summer
Uses: big flowers, big leaves, cutting garden, fall color, fragrant, showy fruit, small tree

GROWING CONDITIONS for Magnolia tripetala

USDA Zones: 5a - 8b
Sun exposure: sun - mostly shade
Watering frequency: even moisture - occasional
Resistant to: deer
Soil needs: acidic, rich and well-drained

Nursery contributed plant descriptions

Wild collected seed. We haven’t had this large leafed southeastern U.S. native for decades. The 18” leaves are fairly narrow and pointed. The flowers are 4”-5” creamy white in June. We only have a few of this magnolia.

By: Gossler Farms

Striking (to 10") white flowers and large red seed pods are borne at the tips of the branches on this open-headed med tree with its ?umbrella? sized leaves. S/M

By: Forestfarm

Common name derives from its foliage, arranged in whorls to form a parasol-like appearance. Flowers unremarkable, and in fact with a disagreeable odor. Shrubby habit but tree-like in size, this American native is sometimes confused with Magnolia macrophylla due to its large leaves, sometimes more than two ft. long. M. macrophylla foliage is silver beneath, unlike this taxon.

By: Heritage Seedlings

Exotic and tropical looking with leaves that rival macrophylla, flowers are white and up to 10" across followed by ornamental seed heads on trees to 50'; despite the name tripetala has six or more tepals, the name refers the three outer reflexed ones); seedlings from the spectacular specimen in Punnett's garden.

By: Arrowhead Alpines

Sometimes confused with Magnolia macrophylla because of the very large leaves (the base of this leave is cuneate while macrophylla is aureolate), this tree stays smaller and has an attractive fruit display in the fall. zone 5