The following was received via email: I was in a new friend's garden yesterday and he has an amazing looking tree that he 'is told by his gardener' is a magnolia. The location is west Los Angeles, where the air has humidity, a lovely breeze, not hot temperature and probably never freezes. Right now this tree has large grayish, green oval shaped leaves and huge pods of undulating shape, rather elongated and not smooth. They are pinkish and I am told will become bright red and have black seeds inside very soon. He says the tree loses its leaves in the fall and in JANUARY is covered with large red flowers??? I went to my Sunset Western Garden Book and was unable to find any tree of this description, then went to the web with the same results. With this sketchy amount of information, could you possibly identify this tree for me? What really throws me off is that it blooms in winter....
It would be most helpful to have a picture... However, your description works for magnolia. I suggest you show your friend a few pictures, such as the magnolias in our photo gallery (e.g., Magnolia campbellii subsp. mollicomata 'Borde Hill'). There are a certainly magnolias that would flower in January in the Los Angeles area, particularly those from low elevation habitats in China and the Himalayas. You may also find useful information at a local botanical garden, such as the Huntington Botanical Garden or the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden.
