Any of about 80 species of trees and shrubs in the genus Magnolia , native to North and Central America, the Himalayas, and East Asia.
They are valued for their fragrant flowers and handsome leaves. Magnolia is one of 12 genera in the family Magnoliaceae, which contains 210 species. Magnolias are among the most primitive of flowering plants; their primitive features include long floral axes, spiral arrangement of flower parts, and simple water-conducting cells.