Magnolia grandiflora named Brackens Brown Beauty

A new Southern magnolia of the grandiflora variety distinguished by a rapid growth rate and an abundant branch and foliage development which maintains a very dense habit from ground to almost the very top producing a compact pyramidal-oval crown, the abundant foliage being particularly distinguished by the yellow-green coloring of the new leaves which change to dark green at maturity and all of which have a rusty brown pubescence on the under side which affords a distinctive green and brown coloration for the entire tree. This new magnolia grandiflora is further distinguished by its profuse production of creamy white flowers which are half the size or less than those of the species and produce fruit that is about half the size of the fruit normal to the species.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT 
My new variety of magnolia grandiflora was discovered by me in 1968 as a 
seedling originated in a bed of about 2500 seedling grown South magnolias 
at my nursery in Easley, S.C. The original seeds for this bed of Southern 
magnolias resulted from open pollination of a number of Southern magnolias 
and the discovery of this new variety was brought about by reason of the 
apparently novel and distinctive features of the plant which presented a 
new and improved combination of characteristics never before exhibited in 
any Southern magnolia of which I have ever been aware. 
I reproduced this new variety of magnolia tree by means of cuttings at my 
nursery at Easley, S.C., and a considerable number of selected cuttings 
were rooted and grown to test the stability of the novel characteristics 
observed in the original plant. During the years since my discovery of 
this variety, it has been propagated through several successive 
generations and I was able to thereby determine that the novel and 
distinctive features of my new magnolia variety remained true from 
generation to generation and appeared to be firmly fixed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT 
The following is a detailed description of my new magnolia grandiflora 
based upon observations of a tree growing in my nursery and about seven 
years old, the observations having been made in the early summer of 1983 
at Easley, S.C., the color designations being according to The R.H.S. 
Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London, England. 
Origin: Seedling. 
Parentage: Unknown. This seedling originated in a bed of seedling grown 
Southern magnolias, the original seeds for this bed resulting from open 
pollination of a number of Southern magnolias. 
Classification: 
Botanic.--Magnolia Grandiflora. 
Commercial.--Southern Magnolia. 
Form: Tall evergreen tree of pyramidal habit with a straight and strong 
central trunk. 
Height: In a period of seven years from a rooted cutting, the plant reaches 
a height of ten to twelve feet with a trunk size of about three to four 
inches and with smooth grey-brown bark which becomes deep grey with 
maturity. The growth rate is normally about 20 or more inches per year, 
ultimately reaching a height of 50 to 60 feet at maturity, yet the plant 
maintains a dense habit because of its abundant branch development. 
Branching: Numerous and closely spaced diverging at an angle of 
approximately 45.degree. from the central trunk. The branches sweep back 
toward the trunk, however, and grow almost parallel for a distance 
creating a dense, compact crown which is totally atypical for a young 
Southern magnolia, although fifteen year old plants have maintained this 
same secondary branching orientation. The development of five to seven 
secondary branches in a growth flush results in a very dense, compact 
plant all the way to ground level. In Easley, S.C., a second flush of 
growth develops from the first flush in July yielding four to five 
additional breaks which in a single growing season may mean as many as 
twenty to thirty-five breaks. 
Foliage: The leaves are evergreen and alternate, firmly coriaceous in 
texture and of obovate-oblong or elliptical shape, the size being from 
four to seven and one-half inches long and two to three inches wide with 
entire margins and undulating surface. The petioles are stout, pubescent, 
and about one-half to one inch long. 
Color: 
New growth.--Top Surface -- Yellow Green R.H.S. 144 A. Bottom Surface -- 
Greyed Orange R.H.S. 165 B. 
Mature leaves.--Top Side -- Dark Green R.H.S. 137 B. Bottom Side -- Grey 
Brown R.H.S. 199 A. Color changes occur as the leaves mature and the time 
of change depends on climatic conditions. In South Carolina, the leaves 
from two growth flushes have matured to lustrous dark green by late 
August. 
Stems: Young stems, one and two years old, are stout and strong, 
one-quarter inch to three-eighths inch in diameter, pubescent, rust 
colored and dotted with grey brown lenticels marked with a distinct 
circular scale scar at each node. Older stems show a greenish brown 
coloration as the rusty pubescence falls away. 
Buds: Buds that are terminal of the stem are large, about one inch long, 
slightly curved, and covered by a single ensheathing scale which has a 
rusty brown silky pubescence. Lateral buds are smaller, about one-eighth 
inch long, borne singly above the leaf scar, ovoid in shape and with 
brownish pubescence. 
Flowers: Each flower is borne singly at the end of a branch, is about four 
inches in diameter, and is composed of nine petals that are tightly 
overlapping in bud and open to a cup-shaped configuration. The flower 
color is creamy white and very pleasingly fragrant. Flowering is initiated 
in mid to late May and continuous into early July on a sustained basis, 
after which sporadic flowers occur throughout the growing season. 
Fruit: The fruit is aggregate of follicles that are ovoid in shape and 
borne singly at the end of the branch, each averaging about two to two and 
one-half inches long and one to one and one-half inches wide. The fruits 
turn rose pink to rose red in early September and remain colorful into 
October; the seeds are oval in shape and are one-quarter to three-eighths 
inch long covered with a red aril. They naturally dehisce from the 
follicles in September-October and are attached by a string-like funicular 
stalk. 
In general, the outstanding characteristics of my new variety of magnolia 
grandiflora, which distinguish it from other varieties of Southern 
magnolia and all others, reside in its overall very dense and pyramidal 
appearance enlightened by the light green color of its new leaves that 
changes to a lustrous dark green color at maturity. The young leaves have 
a brownish under side which becomes rusty brown as the leaves mature and 
the combination of the light and dark green leaves with the brownish under 
side coloring provides a very attractive and pleasing color variegation 
for the overall and almost solid appearance of the entire tree. The four 
inch diameter creamy white flowers are very much smaller than the eight to 
twelve inch normal flower of the species and the flowers are borne in the 
first and second year of growth on plants grown from cuttings. In the 
fifth and sixth year, the plant displays extreme floriferous qualities and 
is infinitely superior to plants grown from seed which may take as long as 
fifteen to twenty years to flower. 
The fruit is about half the size and is not as obtrusive or messy as the 
relatively large fruit of the species. The compact, pyramidal-oval crown 
of my new magnolia selection is more upright than is typical of most 
Southern magnolias which tend to a more broad-pyramid and more open crown, 
especially in youth. Also, the straight central trunk, even in youth, 
strongly supports the secondary branches and results in a tree that 
requires no staking. 
My new magnolia grandiflora is easy to root from cuttings collected in July 
and early August which assures trueness-to-type and the rapid growth rate 
under normal fertilizer and moisture conditions, together with its very 
abundant branch development, assures that the plant will always maintain a 
very dense habit.