| General Description | A broadleaf evergreen tree that is noted for its attractive dark green leaves and its large, extremely fragrant flowers. |
| ID Characteristic | Trees will become quite large over time and should be planted in areas where they can expand. |
| Shape | A pyramidal to rounded crown. |
| Landscape | Evergreen flowering tree for lawns, streets, near decks and patios. |
| Propagation | By stem cuttings or grafting. |
| Cultivation | Grow in moist, organically rich, well-drained loams in full sun to part shade. Part shade may be best. It is intolerant of many urban pollutants. |
| Pests | No serious insect or disease problems.
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| Notable Specimens | Lanhydrock House and Garden, Bodmin, Cornwall, United Kingdom. |
| Habitat | The species is native to moist wooded areas in the southeastern the United States from North Carolina to Florida and Texas. |
| Bark/Stem Description | The bark is grey-brown in colour, fragrant and bitter. It is smooth when young, turning into scales or flat plates as it ages.
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| Leaf Description | Leathery evergreen ovate to elliptic leaves to 25 cm long, glossy dark green above and variable pale green to gray-brown beneath. |
| Flower Description | Fragrant white flowers to 16 - 30 cm diameter usually have six petals. Flowers bloom in late spring, with sparse continued flowering throughout the summer. |
| Fruit Description | Spherical cone-like fruiting clusters to 7- 10 cm long that mature in late summer to early fall, releasing individual rose-red coated seeds suspended on slender threads at maturity.
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| Texture Description | Medium texture when young, growing coarser with age.
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