Magnolia (Magnolia spp.) consists of about 80 species from Asia [50], West Indies [8], Central/South America [10] and North America [8]. Some species separations are possible based on microanatomy. The genus Magnolia is dedicated to Pierre Magnol (16381715), professor of botany and medicine and director of the botanic garden at Montpellier, France.
Magnolia acuminata* black lin, black linn, blue magnolia, cowcumber, cucumber, cucumber magnolia, cucumbertree, cucumberwood, elkwood, magnolia, mountain magnolia, pointed-leaved magnolia, yellow cucumbertree, yellow-flower magnolia, yellow lin, yellow linn, yellow poplar, wahoo, wauhoo
Magnolia ashei ashe magnolia, cucumbertree, sandhill magnolia
Magnolia fraseri cucumber, cucumbertree, earleaf cucumber, earleaf cucumbertree, earleaf umbrella-tree, Fraser magnolia, Fraser umbrella, Indian bitters, Indian physic, long-leaf cucumbertree, magnolia, mountain-cucumber, mountain magnolia, mountain-oread, North Carolina bay-tree, umbrella-tree, water-lilly-tree, whahoo
Magnolia grandiflora* bat-tree, bull-bay, big-laurel,
black lin, cucumberwood, evergreen magnolia, great laurel, large-flower
magnolia, laurel,
laurel bay, laurel-leaved magnolia, magnolia, mountain magnolia,
southern magnolia, sweet magnolia
Magnolia macrophylla big-bloom, bigleaf magnolia,
cowcumber, cucumber,
cucumbertree, elkbark, great-leaved magnolia, large-leaf cucumbertree,
large-leaf magnolia, longleaf cucumber, long-leaved
magnolia, mountain magnolia, pyramid magnolia, royal-oread, silverleaf,
silverleaf magnolia, southern cucumbertree, umbrella-tree, large-leaved
umbrella-tree, white cucumbertree
Magnolia pyramidata mountain magnolia, mountain-oread, pyramid magnolia, southern cucumbertree, wood-oread
Magnolia tripetala cucumber, cucumbertree, elk-browse, elkwood, Japanese magnolia, magnolia, umbrella magnolia, umbrella-tree, wahoo
Magnolia virginiana* bat-tree, bay, bay-tree, beaver-tree, big laurel, black lin, bullbay, cucumberwood, Indian-bark, laurel magnolia, magnolia, mountain magnolia, small magnolia, southern sweetbay, swampbay, swamp-laurel, swamp magnolia, swamp sassafras, sweetbay, sweet magnolia, sweetbay magnolia, Virginia magnolia, white-bay, white-laurel
* commercial species
Distribution: North America.
The Tree: Magnolia trees can reach heights of 80 ft (24 m), with a diameter of 3 ft (1 m).
General Wood Characteristics: The sapwood of magnolia is creamy white, while the heartwood is light to dark brown, often with greenish to purple-black streaks or patches. The wood is even-textured and moderately heavy, fairly hard and straight grained. It resembles yellow poplar (Liriodendron spp.). Magnolia is moderately stiff, high in shock resistance, and low in shrinkage. It has no characteristic odor or taste.
Weight
Weightb
Species MC SGa lb/ft3 kg/m3
Magnolia Green 0.44 49 785
acuminata
(cucumbertree) 12% 0.48 33 529
Ovendry 0.52 NA NA
Magnolia Green 0.40b 47 753
fraseri
(Fraser 12% 0.44b 31 497
magnolia)
Ovendry 0.48 NA NA
Magnolia Greenb 0.46 59 945
grandiflora
(southern 12%b 0.50 35 561
magnolia)
Ovendry 0.53 NA NA
aData for green and 12% conditions taken
from reference
(98); ovendry data from reference (59).
bData from reference (59).
Mechanical properties
Property Green Dry
Magnolia acuminata (cucumbertree)a
MOE 1.56 106 10.756 GPa 1.82 106 12.549 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 7.40 103 51.023 MPa 12.3 103 84.809 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 3.14 103 21.650 MPa 6.31 103 43.507 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 0.33 103 2.275 MPa 0.57 103 3.930 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 10.0 68.950 12.2 84.119
in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3 in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3
520 lbf 2312.96 N 700 lbf 3113.60 N
Hardness
Shear| 0.99 103 6.826 MPa 1.34 103 9.239 MPa
| lbf/in2 lbf/in2
Magnolia grandiflora (Southern magnolia)a
MOE 1.11 106 7.653 GPa 1.40 106 9.653 GPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
MOR 6.80 103 46.886 MPa 11.2 103 77.224 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C| | 2.70 103 18.617 MPa 5.46 103 37.647 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
C 0.46 103 3.172 MPa 0.86 103 5.930 MPa
lbf/in2 lbf/in2
WML 15.4 106.183 12.8 88.256
in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3 in-lbf/in3 kJ/m3
740 lbf 3,291.52 N 1,020 lbf 4,536.96 N
Hardness
Shear| 1.04 103 7.171 MPa 1.53 103 10.549 MPa
| lbf/in2 lbf/in2
Magnolia virginiana (sweetbay)b
MOE NA NA 1.64 106 11.308 GPa
lbf/in2
MOR NA NA 10.9 103 75.293 MPa
lbf/in2
C| | NA NA 5.68 103 39.164 MPa
lbf/in2
C NA NA 0.56 103 3.861 MPa
lbf/in2
WML NA NA NA NA
NA NA NA NA
Hardness
Shear| NA NA 1.68 103 11.583 MPa
| lbf/in2
aReference (98).
bReference (90).
Drying and shrinkage
Percentage of shrinkage
(green to final
moisture content)
Type of shrinkage 0% MCa 6% MCb 20% MCb
Tangential
Magnolia acuminata 8.8 7.0 2.9
(cucumbertree)
Magnolia grandiflora 6.6 5.3 2.2
(southern magnolia)
Magnolia virginiana 8.3 NA NA
(sweetbay)
Radial
Magnolia acuminata 5.2 4.2 1.7
(cucumbertree)
Magnolia grandiflora 5.4 4.3 1.8
(southern magnolia)
Magnolia virginiana 4.7 NA NA
(sweetbay)
Volumetric
Magnolia acuminata 13.6 10.9 4.5
(cucumbertree)
Magnolia grandiflora 12.3 9.8 4.1
(southern magnolia)
Magnolia virginiana 12.9 NA NA
(sweetbay)
aReference (98).
bReference (90).
Kiln drying schedulea
4/4, 5/4, 8/4 10/4 12/4 16/4
Condition 6/4 stock stock stock stock stock
Standard T10-D4 T8-D3 NA NA NA
aReferences (6, 86) for Magnolia grandiflora
(southern magnolia)
and Magnolia virginiana (sweetbay).
Working Properties: Magnolia has average nail-holding ability, is readily worked, and glues, paints, and finishes well.
Durability: Rated as slightly or nonresistant to heartwood decay.
Preservation: No information available at this time.
Uses: Lumber, veneer, furniture (upholstery frames), boxes, interior trim, cabinetry, doors, slats for venetian blinds, plywood.
Toxicity: The bark and leaves can be irritating (64), while the wood has been reported to cause bronchial asthma and rhinitis (40).
Additional Reading: 29, 55, 57, 68, 74. 55, 66, 68, 74, 79. 28, 29, 42, 43, 44, 48, 50, 55, 56, 68, 72, 73, 74, 79, 92, 97, 102. 74, 75, 77, 99, 106. 101.