''Magnolia acuminata'', commonly called the cucumber tree (often spelled as a single word "cucumbertree"), cucumber magnolia or blue magnolia, is one of the largest

magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendro ...

s, and one of the cold-hardiest. It is a large forest

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

of the

Eastern United States The Eastern United States, commonly referred to as the American East, Eastern America, or simply the East, is the region of the United States to the east of the Mississippi River. In some cases the term may refer to a smaller area or the East C ...

and

Southern Ontario Southern Ontario is a primary region of the province of Ontario, Canada, the other primary region being Northern Ontario. It is the most densely populated and southernmost region in Canada. The exact northern boundary of Southern Ontario is disp ...

in Canada. It is a tree that tends to occur singly as scattered specimens, rather than in groves.Sternberg, G., & Wilson, J. (2004). Native Trees for North American Landscapes. Portland, Oregon:Timber Press The cucumber tree is native primarily within the Appalachian belt, including the

Allegheny Plateau The Allegheny Plateau , in the United States, is a large dissected plateau area of the Appalachian Mountains in western and central New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Ohio. It is divide ...

and

Cumberland Plateau The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, and portions of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia. The terms "Alle ...

, up to western

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. There are also numerous disconnected outlying populations through much of the southeastern U.S., and a few small populations in

. In Canada, the cucumber tree is listed as an

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

species and is protected under the Canadian

Species at Risk Act The ''Species at Risk Act'' (SARA) (the ''Act'') is a piece of Canadian federal legislation which became law in Canada on December 12, 2002. It is designed to meet one of Canada's key commitments under the International Convention on Biological D ...

.White, D.J. (2000). Update COSEWIC Status Report on the Cucumber Tree ''Magnolia acuminata'' in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa, Ontario In 1993 The

North American Native Plant Society The North American Native Plant Society (NANPS) is a volunteer-operated registered charitable organization concerned with conserving native plants in wild areas and restoring indigenous flora to developed areas. It is noted for its work in educat ...

purchased Shining Tree Woods to preserve a stand of ''Magnolia acuminata,'' which is also known as "The Shining Tree". The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

simple and alternate, oval to oblong, 12–25 cm long and 6–12 cm wide, with smooth margins and downy on the underside. They come in two forms, acuminate at both ends, or moderately cordate at the base (these are usually only formed high in the tree). Unlike most magnolias, the

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are not showy. They are typically small, yellow-green, and borne high in the tree in April through June. The leaves of Magnolia acuminata are pointed at the tip and provide it with its name - 'acuminate' means tapering to a fine point. The name Cucumber Tree refers to the unripe

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

, which is green and often shaped like a small

cucumber Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated Vine#Horticultural climbing plants, creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical Fruit, fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.

; the fruit matures to a dark red color and is 6–8 cm long and 4 cm broad, with the individual carpels splitting open to release the bright red

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

s, 10-60 per fruit. The ripe fruit is a striking reddish orange color.

Uses and cultivation

Cucumber trees are excellent shade trees for

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

s and

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate both ...

s, though they are not recommended for use as street trees. In cultivation, they typically only grow tall, although they reach over in ideal

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

situations. They can become quite massive: the United States national (and presumed world) champion in

Stark County, Ohio Stark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 374,853. Its county seat is Canton. The county was created in 1808 and organized the next year. It is named for John Stark, an officer in th ...

measures eight feet (2.4 m) in diameter and tall. They grow best in deep, moist, well-drained

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former te ...

s that are slightly

acidic In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a sequ ...

although they are tolerant of

alkali In chemistry, an alkali (; from ar, القلوي, al-qaly, lit=ashes of the saltwort) is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. An alkali can also be defined as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a ...

soils Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former term ...

. They are tricky to transplant due to their coarse, fleshy

root system In mathematics, a root system is a configuration of vectors in a Euclidean space satisfying certain geometrical properties. The concept is fundamental in the theory of Lie groups and Lie algebras, especially the classification and representati ...

and should be planted shallow and moved in early spring with a good soil ball. In the

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

trade, the wood of this tree is interchangeable with that of the related

tuliptree ''Liriodendron'' () is a genus of two species of characteristically large trees, deciduous over most of their populations, in the magnolia family (Magnoliaceae). These trees are widely known by the common name tulip tree or tuliptree for their ...

(''Liriodendron tulipifera''). ''Magnolia acuminata'' has been used in hybridizing new varieties that share its yellow flower color and cold hardiness. It additionally has been marked as a pollinator plant, supporting and attracting bees and butterflies. It is a host plant for butterflies, providing food during their larval stage.

Gallery

File:Magnolia acuminata leaves 01 by Line1.jpg, Leaves File:Cucumber magnolia.jpg, Fruit File:Cucumber Magnolia Magnolia acuminata Bark Vertical.JPG, Bark File:Cucumber tree sections.jpg, Sections of timber from '' The American Woods'' File:Magnolia acuminata maturing fruit.jpg, Maturing fruit File:Magnolia acuminata mature fruit.jpg, Mature fruit File:Magnolia acuminata leaves.jpg, Leaves File:Magnolia acuminata tree.jpg, 1880 accession (#15154*D), Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University

References

External links

''Magnolia acuminata'' images at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Plant Image Database
*Damery, Jonathan
"Founding fruit."
''ARBlog,'' Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University website, 28 August 2019. Accessed 16 April 2020.
"Hunnewell Building, spring, magnolia, 1986."
''Library Featured Images,'' Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University website, 13 July 2017. Accessed 16 April 2020.
Flora of N.Amer-RangeMap: ''Magnolia acuminata''''Famous example at Violet Banks in Virginia'' posted at remarkabletree.cnre.vt.edu
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1249099 acuminata Trees of the Eastern United States Trees of Eastern Canada Trees of the Northeastern United States Trees of the North-Central United States Trees of the Southern United States Trees of the Southeastern United States Trees of the Great Lakes region (North America) Flora of the Appalachian Mountains Trees of Ontario Plants described in 1759 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Trees of humid continental climate