# umbrella magnolia (*Magnolia tripetala*) The umbrella magnolia is a beautiful tree with big, umbrella-like leaves. It blooms with lovely white flowers that smell sweet and attract butterflies and bees. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Umbrella Tree ![umbrella magnolia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Magnolia_tripetala_flower.jpg&width=800) Photo: Mason Brock ( Masebrock ), Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Magnolia_tripetala_flower.jpg) ## Appearance The umbrella magnolia has strikingly large, bright green leaves, up to two feet long, clustered at branch tips, creating an umbrella-like canopy. Its creamy-white flowers are cup-shaped and can grow up to ten inches wide, often displaying purple stamens. Distinctive cone-like fruits turn bright pinkish-red in autumn. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Magnoliales - **Family:** Magnoliaceae - **Genus:** Magnolia ## Interesting facts - After flowering, it produces an amazing pinkish-red fruit that looks like a knobby cone. - Its huge leaves, up to two feet long, make the whole tree look like a giant umbrella! - Magnolias are an ancient plant family; they bloomed for dinosaurs before bees even existed! - The large, creamy-white flowers have a unique, sometimes musky scent, attracting beetles. ## Special abilities - **Giant Leaf Sun Shield:** Umbrella magnolia has enormous leaves that gather sunlight efficiently and provide deep shade, protecting it from intense sun. - **Ancient Beetle Beacon:** Its large, fragrant, creamy flowers attract beetles for pollination, a method used by magnolias since dinosaur times. - **Vibrant Seed Disperser:** This tree grows bright red, fleshy seeds inside a cone-like fruit, tempting birds to eat them and spread them far and wide. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 600-1500 cm - **Spread:** 400-900 cm - **Flower Size:** 15-25 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — eats its bright red, fleshy seeds - **Eats:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses young leaves and twigs - **Eaten by:** [Eastern Bluebird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-bluebird) (*Sialia sialis*) — feeds on its nutritious red seeds ## Traits - [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Stay on paths when exploring and don't touch any plants without asking an adult. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify umbrella magnolia? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is umbrella magnolia? 600-1500 cm ### How wide does umbrella magnolia spread? 400-900 cm ### How big are the flowers on umbrella magnolia? 15-25 cm ### When does umbrella magnolia bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is umbrella magnolia edible? No ### Is umbrella magnolia toxic? None ### What is umbrella magnolia's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Awbury Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/awbury-arboretum) — Pennsylvania, US · Botanical Garden - [Cedarmere-Clayton Estates](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cedarmere-clayton-estates) — New York, US · Historic District - [Harriman Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/harriman-historic-district) — New Jersey, US · Historic District - [Botanical Gardens at Asheville](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/botanical-gardens-at-asheville) — North Carolina, US · Botanical Garden - [Colonial Germantown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/colonial-germantown-historic-district) — Pennsylvania, US · Historic District - [Santeetlah Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/santeetlah-dam) — North Carolina, US · Historic Site [View all places to see umbrella magnolia](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/umbrella-magnolia) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Umbrella Magnolia: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/umbrella-magnolia)