Bigleaf magnolia gets all the attention but that is only because people aren't familiar with this plant. Its leaves are nearly as large and the tree is more spectacular; it grows a little larger to 50 feet or more. Its most unique features are its bilobed leaves. Each leaf ends, rather than in a single apex, in two symmetrical round lobes. One of the summer-blooming magnolias, in May and June, it has large white flowers that are showy, if short-lived. It's been in cultivation outside of China where it is native just over 100 years.
