Magnolia liliiflora
Common name: 
Lily Magnolia
Pronunciation: 
mag-NO-li-a li-le-i-FLO-ra
Family: 
Magnoliaceae
Genus: 
Magnolia
Synonyms: 
M. quinquepeta
Type: 
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Deciduous tree/shrub, 8-12 ft (2.5-3 m), sprawling, multi-stemmed, very shrub-like.  Leaves alternate, simple, obovate to elliptic-ovate, 10-18 cm long, 5-13 cm wide, dark green above, lighter below and finely pubescent on slender veins.  Foliage may look ragged by fall. Blooms with or just before leaves appear.  Flowers are upright, 9 petals, pointed, purple outside and white inside, some cultivars have pink flowers.
  • Sun.  Takes 4-5 years to bloom.  Several cultivars; ‘Nigra’ and ‘O'Neil’ are popular.
  • Hardy to USDA Zone 5      Native to Eastern China, but now unknown in wild.
  • liliiflora: with flowers like Lilium (lily).
  • Oregon State Univ. campus: front of Hovland Hall, (possibly a cultivar, not species type).
Click image to enlarge
  • plant habit, flowering

    plant habit, flowering

  • flowers, before opening

    flowers, before opening

  • flowers opening

    flowers opening

  • flower

    flower

  • plant habit, summer

    plant habit, summer

  • leaves and young fruit

    leaves and young fruit

  • leaves and fruit, fall

    leaves and fruit, fall

  • leaves, comparison

    leaves, comparison