Leaves: Alternate, simple, elliptic, and huge 12 to 32" inches long and 7 to 12" wide, with a heart shaped base bearing earlike appendages. The margins are entire, lustrous green and smooth above and downy white underneath.

LOCATION

Owner: Harry Yates
Nominated by: Mark Yates
Accessible: Yes, by request of owner, side yard at 265 Gentry Dr. Close proximity to Japanese Cedar Champion in same yard.
Coordinates: State Plane
GA West NAD83 (feet)
E: 2,550,239 N: 1,424,766


Notes: An occasional tree in southern landscapes, the Bigleaf Magnolia is a coarse looking tree round-topped in shape. The rough look is due to its huge leaves, and as such, it is a difficult tree to utilize in the landscape. The flowers are also large (8 to 12" in diameter), and creamy white and fragrant but the tree needs plenty of room to grow and develop, and better suited to parks and campuses than individual residences. The case above is an apt exception. The species is deciduous and when the leaves are on the ground, it appears to be covered with large pieces of green and gray paper.

Bark: Smooth brownish gray on young and old trees and developing large leaf scars throughout the stem.