Trees
Magnolia grandiflora 'Bracken's Brown Beauty'
Bracken's Brown Beauty magnolia
Bracken's Brown Beauty is an evergreen southern magnolia with lustrous green leaves and warm cinnamon-brown undersides. Large creamy-white flowers bring fragrance in late spring. The dense pyramidal canopy provides lasting structure, but this is still a sizable tree that needs generous room despite being smaller than many seedling southern magnolias.
At a glance
- Sun
- Full sun
- Size
- Height: 30–50 ft · Width: 15–30 ft
- Water
- Regular moisture; water deeply when dry once established
- Hardiness
- USDA 5–9
- Bloom
- Fragrant creamy white, late spring
Sizes & prices
- #7$189.99
- #15$299.99
- #20$324.99
Catalog updated September 8, 2026. This is not a live stock count; please call to confirm availability and price.
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Landscape use & tree form
- Use
- Ornamental specimen
- Fruit / litter
- Large leathery leaves and cone-like fruits create persistent litter.
- Major issues
- Scale insects and leaf spots may occur; avoid prolonged flooding.
- Growth rate
- Species guidance: medium; cultivar and growing conditions may differ.
- Form
- Dense pyramidal evergreen crown.
Resistance & tolerances
- Deer
- Parent-species guidance: Some browsing resistance; not deer-proof. Protect young plants.
- Drought
- Species has some drought tolerance with ample root space; irrigate confined or dry sites.
- Wet soil
- Parent-species guidance: Tolerates high moisture but not swampy soil or prolonged flooding.
Resistance is not a guarantee; deer and rabbits may browse any plant.
Native range
- Native range / parentage
- Cultivar/selection of a species native to southeastern United States.
Seasonal interest
- Foliage
- Evergreen; dark green above, brown beneath.
Growing & care
- Soil
- Moist, well-drained
- Pruning
- Little pruning needed. Shape free-standing evergreen trees in spring as growth starts; preserve enough lower canopy to shade the roots.
Sources & photo credits
University of Minnesota Extension
Photo: John Grimshaw / Trees and Shrubs Online, CC BY-SA 4.0; resized for web without enlargement. · CC BY-SA 4.0
Image notes: A shapely Magnolia grandiflora 'Bracken's Brown Beauty' showing its dark indumentum (Scott Arboretum, Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, 31 October 2025). Photo: John Grimshaw / Trees and Shrubs Online, CC BY-SA 4.0; resized for web without enlargement.
Reviewed September 22, 2026. Growing conditions vary by location.