Identify This Tree!

This gorgeous 25' tree lives 2 blocks up the street from me in a suburb just west of Philadelphia, PA. (Middle Atlantic States, midway between New York City and Washington, DC). The ~5 petals (shaped like magnolia flowers) of the flowers are white, about 5-6 inches long, 1/16-1/8 inch thick, and waxy. The spatulate dark green leaves
(pale ocher on the underside) are thinner, but still much thicker than an oak or maple, and also look as if they'd just been waxed..

What amazes me is the health of the tree after 6 months of serious disturbance during the addition of a room (with basement beneath it) only 15 feet from the tree.

I hope someone can help me.

 

Liriodendron tulipifera, perhaps? It may also be an honest-to-goodness Magnolia; it greatly resembles the ones that are grown here as boulevard trees. Does it have a scent?

 

Looks like Magnolia grandiflora. Common name Southern Magnolia.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=...+grandiflora+leaf&btnG=Search+images&aq=f&oq=

The leaves of Liriodendron tulipifera are very distinctive. They always look as if someone has taken scissors and cut the end of the leaf off!

http://images.google.com/images?hl=...ron tulipifera leaf&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

 

Sadly, no scent that I could determine.

It is QUITE different from what I know as a Magnolia tree, at least the magnolias in this general region. The petals are much thicker (they look like wax-work), with no pink in them..... I may have to go th the owner and ask if they know. (Since they don;t recognize bind weed creeping among other parts of their yard, I would be surprised if they did.)

In the mean time, I'll google Liriodendron tulipifera, for which, thanks!

 

Definitely not that: flowers MUCH bigger.
I'm going to ask the owner.
AS

 

At which point, Silver Surfer is correct - if the flowers are huge, it's M. grandiflora.

 

There is no doubt that tree shown in above picture is a southern magnolia (M. grandiflora).

 

Now I have to figure out from which branch of the magnolia family come the trees that I grew up with: variegated purply-pink and cream flowers, petals narrower and thinner than the Grandiflora. Not nearly as magnificent a tree as the Grandiflora.

Thanks to all of you for your help.
Anne

 

What about Magnolia liliiflora Nigra?

http://images.google.com/images?hl=...ia liliiflora nigra&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

 

Saucer magnolias are very common in gardens and nurseries. There are numerous other hybrid derivatives of M. liliiflora in cultivation, it has been used many times in crosses. Another frequently offered group of its hybrids is shown and discussed here:

http://www.usna.usda.gov/Newintro/magnoli1.html