Cucumber tree
Encyclopedia
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
s, and one of the cold-hardiest. It is a large forest tree
of the Eastern
United States
and Southern Ontario
Canada
. It is a tree that tends to occur singly as scattered specimens, rather than in groves.
The cucumber tree is native primarily within the Appalachian
belt, including the Allegheny Plateau
and Cumberland Plateau
, up to western Pennsylvania
and New York
. There are also numerous disconnected outlying populations through much of the southeastern U.S., and a few small populations in Southern
Ontario
. In Canada, the cucumber tree is listed as an endangered species and is protected under the Canadian Species at Risk Act
.
The leaves
are deciduous
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
s are not showy. They are typically small, yellow-green, and borne high in the tree in April through June. The name Cucumber tree comes from the unripe fruit
, which is green and often shaped like a small cucumber
; 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
s, 10-60 per fruit. The ripe fruit is a striking reddish orange color.
s and garden
s, though they are not recommended for use as street trees. In cultivation, they typically only grow 15-20 m (50-75 feet) tall, although they reach over 30 m (100 feet) in ideal forest
situations. They can become quite massive: the United States national champion in Stark County, Ohio
measures more than seven feet (2 m) in diameter (although only 79 ft or 24 m tall). They grow best in deep, moist, well-drained soil
s that are slightly acidic although they are tolerant of alkali
ne soils.
They are tricky to transplant
due to their coarse, fleshy root system
and should be planted shallow and moved in early spring with a good soil ball.
In the timber
trade, this tree is interchangeable with that of the related tuliptree
(Liriodendron tulipifera).
Magnolia acuminata has been used in hybridizing new varieties that share its yellow flower color and cold hardiness
Magnolia
Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....
s, and one of the cold-hardiest. It is a large forest tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
of the Eastern
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is a tree that tends to occur singly as scattered specimens, rather than in groves.
The cucumber tree is native primarily within the Appalachian
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
belt, including the Allegheny Plateau
Allegheny Plateau
The Allegheny Plateau is a large dissected plateau area in western and central New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Ohio...
and Cumberland Plateau
Cumberland Plateau
The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia, part of Tennessee, and a small portion of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia . The terms "Allegheny Plateau" and the "Cumberland Plateau" both refer to the...
, up to western Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. There are also numerous disconnected outlying populations through much of the southeastern U.S., and a few small populations in Southern
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. In Canada, the cucumber tree is listed as an endangered species and is protected under the Canadian Species at Risk Act
Species at Risk Act
The Species at Risk 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 Diversity. The goal of the Act is to protect endangered or threatened...
.
The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
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).
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are not showy. They are typically small, yellow-green, and borne high in the tree in April through June. The name Cucumber tree comes from the unripe fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
, which is green and often shaped like a small cucumber
Cucumber
The cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The plant is a creeping vine which bears cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and...
; 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
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s, 10-60 per fruit. The ripe fruit is a striking reddish orange color.
Uses and cultivation
Cucumber trees are excellent shade trees for parkPark
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s and garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s, though they are not recommended for use as street trees. In cultivation, they typically only grow 15-20 m (50-75 feet) tall, although they reach over 30 m (100 feet) in ideal forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
situations. They can become quite massive: the United States national champion in Stark County, Ohio
Stark County, Ohio
Stark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 375,586. It is included in the Canton-Massillon, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area....
measures more than seven feet (2 m) in diameter (although only 79 ft or 24 m tall). They grow best in deep, moist, well-drained soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
s that are slightly acidic although they are tolerant of alkali
Alkali
In chemistry, an alkali is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal element. Some authors also define an alkali as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a soluble base has a pH greater than 7. The adjective alkaline is commonly used in English as a synonym for base,...
ne soils.
They are tricky to transplant
Transplanting
For botanical organ transplant, see GraftingIn agriculture and gardening, transplanting or replanting is the technique of moving a plant from one location to another. Most often this takes the form of starting a plant from seed in optimal conditions, such as in a greenhouse or protected nursery...
due to their coarse, fleshy root system
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
and should be planted shallow and moved in early spring with a good soil ball.
In the timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
trade, this tree is interchangeable with that of the related tuliptree
Liriodendron
Liriodendron is a genus of two species of characteristically large deciduous trees in the magnolia family .These trees are widely known by the common name tulip tree or tuliptree for their large flowers superficially resembling tulips, but are closely related to magnolias rather than lilies, the...
(Liriodendron tulipifera).
Magnolia acuminata has been used in hybridizing new varieties that share its yellow flower color and cold hardiness