Is this Magnolia?

[Old Greenhorn]

It's raining today, all day, and I finally couldn't stand sitting around. SO I went for a walk in the woods and banged around the mill making plans. I came across this tree and I have no idea what it is. The wife immediately said "yellow Magnolia'. I don't ever recall seeing one of these. It's on the edge of a swamp and has very wet feet. It don't look really healthy. If this is magnolia, what is the wood like and what is it good for? This specimen is only about 11" DBH so it has a way to go I guess. As I do my TSI work, should I free this tree up, or trash it?

This is the blossom.






This is the bark.
 

 




This is a bud.

 



And here is a branch. I can't believe I hadn't noticed this before I must have passed within 30' of that tree over 500 times. Walked right past it 50 times and worked all around it 10 times. I am getting old and sloppy.


 

[caveman]

It looks like it could be a Magnolia acuminate or cucumber tree. 

The southern magnolias are blooming here now.

[bitternut]

I agree with caveman. I don't happen to have any in my woods but a friend of mine has a couple in his woods that I have seen. The seed pod resembles a cucumber, hence the common tag of cucumber tree or lumber. The only other native tree could be tulippoplar but I don't think this is.

[Magicman]

The bark is not right for a Magnolia nor Tulip Poplar.

[WV Sawmiller]

  I'm with Cavey & Bitter and think it is a cucumber tree which is a magnolia species. Sometimes called big leaf magnolia. It is not the sterotypical Grandiflora species with the dark green leaves which is evergreen. These are deciduous.

[Old Greenhorn]

Yeah, I did some reading and am thinking the same thing. Unusual tree here, but hardy enough to survive. I will be watching this one. No leaves on it yet.

[WDH]

Sure looks like cucumber tree.  Look closely at a twig where a bud is located.  You should see a distinct ring encircling the twig.  This is a stipular scar, and in all the Magnolia family, they completely encircle the twig. 

WV, common names are many times misleading or wrong.  Big leaf magnolia, Magnolia macrophylla, is a distinctly different species from cucumber tree. 

[Old Greenhorn]

Cucumber seems to fit. @WDH I will check tomorrow night when I go down, it is dark and raining hard now. I am still in a little shock that I never noticed it before. It is 30' off the skid road and I must have missed the flowers or been focused on the work of the day. All the reading I found says it is used the same as Tulip. I don't see this tree coming down in my lifetime, it is still young, but I would like to alert the property owner that he has one of these. I will be watching for flowers and get some photos. I don't believe I have ever seen another around here.

[WDH]

The heartwood is green, just like in yellow poplar (tulip poplar). 

[Old Greenhorn]

The heartwood is green, just like in yellow poplar (tulip poplar).

I don't plan on finding out just yet. ;D I'll take your word for it. Will check those rings tomorrow night.

[WV Sawmiller]

Danny,

   Yep I agree many mix ups with common names. I think I have heard it called Cowcumber which I gather may be another name for the real Big Leaf Magnolia. Our first foreign exchage student (We hosted 7 over the years) was from Sweden and I found a Big leaf magnolia there near Jacksonville NC where I was stationed in USMC and she did a research paper on it and we did a tracing of the leaf. On it some leaves could get up to a meter long only the one we picked was just a little over 2' as I remember. 

   We have the cucumber trees here is decent numbers and I have a big one a clients cut list. Just waiting on him to get his IRS refund to give me the go ahead to cut it and a big catalpa tree. Both will be new species to cut for me so I am anxious.

[Don P]

We have another magnolia blooming now, Fraser Magnolia, mountain magnolia. Usually a smallish spindly tree with pretty flowers. It has a lobe down at the base of the leaf.

Cucumbertree lumber is mixed right in with tulip poplar and I can't tell the wood apart once I've mixed it up but cucumber is stronger.

[Woodpecker52]

The leaves will be huge, thus big leaf magnolia.

[WDH]

For the record, in the South, there are seven magnolia species not counting yellow poplar:

Cucumber Tree.  Magnolia acuminata.
Fraser Magnolia.  Magnolia fraseri
Southern Magnolia.  Magnolia grandifolia.
Bigleaf Magnolia.  Magnolia macrophylla.
Pyramid Magnolia.  Magnolia pyramidata.  Many consider this one a variety of Fraser magnolia.
Umbrella Magnolia.  Magnolia tripetala.
Sweetbay.  Magnolia virginiana. 

Two, Southern Magnolia and Sweetbay, are evergreen.  The others lose their leaves in the Fall.  All seven have large, showy, fragrant flowers. 

[Old Greenhorn]

Sure looks like cucumber tree.  Look closely at a twig where a bud is located.  You should see a distinct ring encircling the twig.  This is a stipular scar, and in all the Magnolia family, they completely encircle the twig.  

I checked this evening, but I forgot a camera. There is a ring behind the big buds at the base, kind of like a hip, is this what you meant? The smaller buds don't seem to have that, I also noticed that there seems to be a scar type of ring about 1-2" back up the stem from the bud, perhaps this is it? The all seem to have that. Inside the buds looks like ears of green corn, not sure if that is correct, but I will watch this tree daily through the budding season.

[WDH]

This link shows what they look like in yellow poplar, which is in the Magnolia family.

http://forestry.sfasu.edu/faculty/stovall/dendrology//images/tree_photos/morph_pages/twigscars_budscale/lirituli_bud1.jpg

[Old Greenhorn]

Bingo, Yes! This is about 1" back from the end of the branch. this is a more mature tree than in the photo I think. Some of the rings had small scaling pieces of bark that fall off at the touch. Yup, I think you've proved it. I will try to get some better pictures as soon as the rain stops and the sun comes back out for more than an hour. It might be July by then.
Thanks to all!