Southern Magnolia - Magnolia grandiflora

I'll start this blog with the most common street tree in Sunnyvale: the Southern magnolia.

Southern magnolias make up 12% of the city street trees in Sunnyvale. I don't really care of them, but many people love them. They can be identified by their large waxy leaves and large white flowers.

They are native to the southwest United States. I think they look out-of-place in the drier California climate. They require a lot of water, so most California urban tree plans call for replacing them with trees that are better-suited to this climate.

993 Glenbar Ave, Sunnyvale, CA

Magnolia leaves are dark green and up to 7" long and have a waxy surface. The huge white flowers grow up to 12" long.



Where to find them: Southern magnolia are everywhere. Streets that are dominated by Southern magnolia include Wolfe Rd, Iris Ave, Sweetbay Dr, Hollenbeck Ave and S. Mary Ave.



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