Cucumber tree

The Cucumber tree, Magnolia acuminata, occasionally spelled as a single word "Cucumbertree", is one of the largest magnolias, and one of the cold-hardiest. It is a large forest tree of the northeastern United States and southeasternmost Canada. It is a tree that tends to occur singly as scattered specimens, rather than in groves.

Unlike most magnolias, the flowers are not showy. They are typically small, yellow-green, and borne high in the tree.

The name Cucumber tree comes from the unripe fruit, which is green and often shaped like a small cucumber.

The leaves are simple and alternate, with smooth margins and downy on the underside. They are larger than the leaves of most forest trees, and come in two forms - acuminate at both ends, or moderately cordate at the base (these are usually only formed high in the tree).

The range of the Cucumber tree is 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 southernmost Ontario.

Cucumber trees make excellent shade trees for parks and gardens, though they are not recommended for use as street trees. In cultivation, they typically only grow 15-20m (50-75 feet) tall, although they reach over 30m (100 feet) in forest situations. They are tolerant of alkaline soils.

In the timber trade, this tree is interchangeable with that of the related Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera).