: any of a genus (Magnolia of the family Magnoliaceae, the magnolia family) of American and Asian shrubs and trees with entire evergreen or deciduous leaves and usually showy white, yellow, rose, or purple flowers usually appearing in early spring
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Think notes of eucalyptus leaf, wet wood, and magnolia.—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 17 June 2025 There’s no guarantee, but some plants are less likely to be damaged by Japanese beetles, such as red maple, boxwood, flowering dogwood, holly, magnolia, some types of oaks and most evergreens.—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 7 May 2025 Imagine magnolia and sweet rain evoking Hurston’s Florida, or dandelion-nodding Peony Morrison drawing from The Bluest Eye.—Martine Thompson, Essence, 5 June 2025 Taylor by Taylor Swift (magnolia and tangerine); Taylor by Taylor Swift: Made of Starlight (apricot); and Incredible Things (Grapefruit).—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for magnolia
Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Pierre Magnol †1715 French botanist
: any of a genus of North American and Asian trees or tall shrubs having usually showy white, yellow, rose, or purple flowers that appear before or sometimes with the leaves in the spring
capitalized: a genus (family Magnoliaceae, the magnolia family) of North American and Asian shrubs and trees including some whose bark has been used especially as a bitter tonic and diaphoretic in folk medicine
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