Magnolia

Magnolia, any of the evergreen or deciduous trees or shrubs (genus Magnolia) from the family Magnoliaceae, often with showy flowers, found chiefly in temperate zones. Principally an Asiatic genus, native American magnolia species include the southern magnolia, or the bull bay (M. grandiflora), the cucumber tree (M. acuminata), the umbrella tree (M.tripetala), and the tulip tree, or yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipfera), whose soft, yellowish wood is valued for furniture and cabinetwork.