I think you are right. We have Magnolia laevifolia at UBC but it is very small, so I don't think it has flowers or has it? Thank you. This plant is beautiful. It reminded me of Camellia lutchuensis ssp. lutchuensis in UBC garden, so different from other camellias, with small and abundant flowers.
I have a photo tucked away...somewhere of this (?). It was at VanDusen Botanical Garden during the Spring Plant Sale which is held the last Sunday of April (but not this year).
Nadia emailed me to say there must be flowers, implying that I had to go photograph them at UBCBG. Well, there are not flowers. It must be warmer where you are, and those are beautiful photos, btw. The large tree and the young one are at the same stage. It will be interesting to see if it's the same species and just reluctant to bloom, or if it's different.
I was sure it is in bloom, but Asian garden is in shade,maybe it would bloom later. "My" tree is facing the south
The kind in the first set of 3 pictures on this thread is sold in the US using the Inspiration trademark and is said to be of hybrid origin.
I've found the photos taken April 25, 2015 at VanDusen when gearing up for their Spring Plant Sale. Here are a few pics
Magnolia cavaleriei, another lovely evergreen species. The M. laevifolia at the Garden do flower and make beautiful little fruits as well, but not so densely as Nadia's photo. I would think it is a cultivated selection as Ron suggests. Some very nice selections have been made with longer bloom time and more flowers. It does not seem to flower for a long period at the Garden, nor did my plants at home. M. laevifolia has a very nice fragrance.
Background information about the one sold using the Inspiration trademark down here is scarce and incomplete. Even though it has been in general commerce in my area - one I planted at my previous residence north of Seattle grew maybe 10 ft. high over a short period of time. With flowering occurring twice within the same year during at least one year.
I just noticed that a Magnolia maudiae tree was starting to bloom. Flowers are all too high in the tree to get a good look at them though. Magnolia maudiae - Section Michelia - Maud’s michelia | UBC Botanical Garden
Finally, open flowers on the Magnolia laevifolia at UBCBG, close enough to see, just six tepals, unlike the one in question which has maybe twice the number of tepals, some more narrow. I did not notice a scent (which does not always mean anything).
I take back my comment about the UBCBG plant not blooming heavily. The tree below the walkway on the way to the Ting, that Wendy photographed was blooming heavily the past few weeks and the intoxicating fragrance drifted heavily about the front entrance area. This tree came from a commercial nursery. We have others grown from seed. It will be interesting to see how those trees compare to this one.
We have hijacked Nadia's thread now to post Magnolia laevifolia, so here's a fruit and some nice buds. I think these leaves look a little more rugose than on the one asked about in the first posting.
