Magnolia grandiflora

noun: commonly known as the Southern Magnolia or Bull Bay, is native to the southeastern United States, and is the official state flower of both Mississippi and Louisiana. A medium to large tree, 20-30 feet tall with a striking appearance, both in leaf and in bloom. The leaves are evergreen, 8 inches long and 5 inches broad, with smooth margins. Leaves are dark green, stiff and leathery, and often scurfy underneath with yellow-brown pubescence. Like most broadleaf evergreens, the leaves are replaced by new foliage in the spring. The large, showy, citronella-scented flowers are white, up to 13 inches across and fragrant, with 6-12 petals with a waxy texture, emerging from the tips of twigs on mature trees in late spring. The seed pods are often dried and used in floral arrangements. The leaves are are used in many Southern Christmas decorations often mixed with pine boughs to create garlands and wreaths.