Southern Magnolia Magnolia grandiflora (non-dwarf varieties)

Large-sized | Evergreen | Height: 60-80 ft.| Spread: 20-40 ft.

This symbol of the south prefers partial shade and appears in nature as an understory tree. While native to the south, it can be found as far west as Texas and as far north as New Jersey. Its leaves are dark green, stiff, and leathery. More notable are its flowers, which bloom during the summer months. The flowers produce conelike seedpods that contain large red seeds and are extremely aromatic. 

Magnolias are messy, dropping many of their huge, heavy leaves in spring which can hold rainwater which attracts mosquitoes. To deal with this, many homeowners plant this tree in an area where they can mow and blow the leaves back toward the trunk under its canopy to provide a nesting site for a range of beneficial insects. 

Fun fact, the flowers of the magnolia tree are pollinated by beetles while the fruit is consumed by squirrels, rabbits and birds—including wild turkey. 

Read more about this species at https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/magnolia-grandiflora/.