• Magnolia trees are pollinated by beetles.Nathan Blaney/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  Approximately 80 different species of magnolia grow in southeastern Asia and in the eastern United States. Most magnolia trees have large glossy leaves and showy blooms. They are easy to grow and resist pests, and are available in a variety of different sizes. More than half of the existing magnolia species are cultivated around the world; in addition, breeders have created a wide variety of cultivars, according to the U.S. National Arboretum.
  
  

Southern Magnolia

• The Magnolia grandiflora or southern magnolia species is native to the United States. These moisture-loving evergreen trees grow between 40 and 80 feet high. They have dense, 30- to 40-foot-wide cone-shaped crowns. Their dark green leaves are 5 to 10 inches long, and they produce creamy white blossoms during the summer that are 8 to 12 inches wide. Pods bearing bright red seeds replace the fragrant blooms during the fall. Southern magnolia trees begin blooming at different ages depending on the cultivar. They grow best in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 9. They prefer full sun or partial shade and moist well-drained soil. Several cultivars include the cold-hardy Victoria and the Gloriosa, which produces 12-inch flowers at an early age.
  
  

Cucumber-Tree

• Magnolia acuminata or cucumber-tree is native from New York through Georgia. These fast-growing deciduous trees grow between 50 and 80 feet tall with an equal spread. They have a pyramidal shape when they are young, but they become more open as they age. They have thin grayish-brown bark and reddish-brown stems. According to the University of Connecticut, the branches release a spicy fragrance when they are bruised. Cucumber-trees have 6- to 12-inch-long oval, yellowish-green leaves. They produce small greenish-white flowers that bloom during the spring, but the blossoms are usually hidden by the tree's thick foliage. Showy, red, 2- to 3-inch long cucumber-shaped fruits form in the fall. The leaves change from green to bronze in autumn. Cucumber-trees are generally hardy to USDA Zone 4. They grow best in rich, moist soil and full sunlight to partial shade.
  
  

Sweetbay Magnolia

• Sweetbay magnolia trees (Magnolia virginiana) are native to the eastern and gulf regions of the United States. These large shrubs or small trees grow slowly and reach around 20 feet tall with a 15-foot spread in the northern part of their range, but grow rapidly and reach more than twice those dimensions in the south. They are semi-evergreen or deciduous depending on the climate. Sweetbay magnolias have light gray, smooth trunks, oval shaped crowns and shiny medium-green or dark green leaves. They produce creamy, lightly scented flowers during the summer. Sweetbay magnolias grow in Zones 5 to 9. They perform best in part or full sun and nutrient-rich, acidic moist soil.