Editing Magnoliaceae (section)

== Economic significance ==

As a whole, the Magnoliaceae are not an economically significant family. With the exception of ornamental cultivation, the economic significance of magnolias is generally confined to the use of wood from certain timber species and the use of bark and flowers from several species believed to possess medicinal qualities.  The wood of the American tuliptree, ''[[Liriodendron tulipifera]]'' and the wood of the cucumbertree magnolia, ''[[Magnolia acuminata]]'', and, to a lesser degree, that of the Frasier magnolia, ''[[Magnolia fraseri]]'', are harvested and marketed collectively as "yellow poplar." This is a lightweight and exceptionally fine-grained wood, lending itself to precision woodworking for purposes such as [[pipe organ]] building.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

Magnolias have a rich cultural tradition in China, where references to their healing qualities go back thousands of years. The Chinese have long used the bark of ''[[Magnolia officinalis]]'', a magnolia native to the mountains of China with large leaves and fragrant white flowers, as a remedy for cramps, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, and indigestion. Certain magnolia flowers, such as the buds of ''[[Magnolia liliiflora]]'', have been used to treat chronic respiratory and sinus infections and lung congestion. Recently, magnolia bark has become incorporated into alternative medicine in the west, where tablets made from the bark of ''M. officinalis'' have been marketed as an aid for anxiety, allergies, asthma, and weight loss. Compounds found in magnolia bark might have antibacterial and antifungal properties, but no large-scale study on the health effects of magnolia bark or flowers has yet been conducted.{{cn|date=June 2024}}