Hou Po

Magnolia officinalis is a deciduous tree in the Magnoliaceae, endemic to mountainous regions of central and southern China, where it grows in mixed broadleaved forests between 300 and 1,500 m elevation. Mature specimens reach 15-25 m tall with a straight trunk, ascending branches and a broad, rounded crown. The bark is smooth and pale grey on young trees, becoming thicker, fissured and brownish with age, and is strongly aromatic when cut. The large, alternate leaves are obovate to elliptic, 20-45 cm long, leathery, dark green above and pale glaucous beneath, often clustered toward the branch tips. In early summer the tree bears solitary, fragrant, cup-shaped flowers 10-15 cm across, with 9-12 fleshy, creamy-white tepals. The aggregate fruit is a long, cylindrical, cone-like structure of follicles that split to release scarlet, fleshy-coated seeds. Cultivated trees are typically harvested for medicinal bark after 15-20 years.