Magnolia grandiflora Magnolias are entwined with the history of the south. Named after Pierre Magnol — the French botanist who discovered the tree in Louisiana and took seedlings back with him to France — magnolias have become iconic landscape trees in the South. With oversized, fragrant flowers, it’s easy to see why admirers have developed more than 150 cultivars in attempt to extend the tree’s range into the North. The oldest Southern Magnolia standing today is on Washington State Park…
