Well I don't know but I would have told the other mother to tell the kids not to do that. She should know better.

Believe me, I wanted to. My son was on the slide and he's two. They were just out of shouting range for me. So by the time I got him and went over there they were gone. That's when I scooped up the poor little branch.

I have it in water still. Not sure if I should try to put it in soil.

Terra

I got 2 crepe mrytle suckers chopped at the roots from a friend recently.
The nursery told me to put in water for a day then put in soil. I did that and already have new growth which is dying back for the winter.
So I guess it can't hurt now to pot it up. I would keep in a pot and keep it slightly moist with limited sun meaning not a lot of direct sun, maybe like a SE exposure.

I wish I knew more to help you. I would love a magolia but too hot here.
Call a nursery and see what they say. Your probably going to have to know the specific kind. Maybe they will know the park where you got it and know what kind it is.

I wouldn't know really what kind it is. I will try to call though. Just hard without seeing blooms.

I am going to have my husband pot it today. Wondering if I should just keep it indoors? I do have SE morning sun so I could just put it outside my kitchen window if need be.

Terra

I wouldn't bother trying, as a large woody cutting of a Magnolia(probably the evergreen M. grandiflora), is not that easy to root without mist propagation, and will not like the dry heat of being indoors. Easy enough to buy one in a 5 or 15 gallon container at a nursery. Use the foliage for Christmas decorations on a wreath. The leaves and old seed heads with the red seeds are also quite attractive for decorations, and will last quite along time outdoors if kept in the shade.