Magnolia yuyuanensis

Rarely offered for sale, this evergreen hardy species from SE China deserves wider planting. The lustrous foliage is narrow, boat-shaped with pointed tips, and forms an attractive foil for the freely produced softly fragrant summer flowers which are white with contrasting deep purple-red anthers at their centres. Forms a small tree in cultivation, best on reasonably decent soil; even alkaline if deep and reasonably rich.