Regarded as one of the most beautiful Magnolias, award-winning Magnolia denudata, also called Yulan Magnolia or Lily Tree, is a large deciduous shrub or small tree whose exquisite flowers were a gift worthy of an emperor in ancient China. Upright and cup-shaped when borne, the creamy to ivory white flowers, 3 in. long (8 cm), gracefully open their 9-12 tepals as they mature, resembling lilies. The tepals sometimes display a tinge of pink at their base, adding to the beauty of the bloom. Rich with a lemon fragrance, the blooms appear on naked branches in late winter to early spring before the ovate leaves unfurl. Magnolia denudata always creates a very dramatic scene in the garden and makes a wonderful specimen as a single-trunked or multi-stemmed tree. While very hardy, its blooms, like those of most early blooming Magnolias, are susceptible to late frosts.

Native to China, Magnolia denudata is parent to many cultivars, the more famous including Magnolia x soulangeana, a cross between M. denudata and M. liliiflora; and Magnolia x veitchii, a cross between M. denudata and M. campbellii.

• Grows with an upright habit when young but becomes more rounded and broad-spreading with age. Can reach up to 30-40 ft. tall and wide (9-12 m)
• Winner of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society
• Full sun to part shade lover, this plant is best grown in consistently moist, slightly acidic, organically rich, well-drained soils. Neutral to slightly alkaline soils are also suitable for growth. Magnolias are adaptable to clay, loam, or sandy soils, but most grow poorly in wet or poorly drained soils. Provide a site sheltered from cold, dry winds as buds and flowers may be damaged by cold winds. Late frosts may damage flower buds too.
• May be attacked by capsid bugs, snails, horse chestnut scales, coral spots, gray mold, and honey fungus.
• Spectacular as a specimen plant for dramatic early spring blooms. Great flowering tree for city gardens or cottage gardens.
• Magnolia pruning should be carried out in midsummer when in full leaf
• Deciduous Magnolias are best planted when dormant, in late fall or winter in warmer climates and early spring in cold climates. Evergreen magnolias are best planted in early spring. For the first 6 to 12 months after planting, both types will benefit from mulch and regular irrigation during warm or dry weather.
• Propagate by seed in autumn and spring, by softwood cuttings from late spring to early summer or semi-ripe cuttings from late summer to fall