Magnolia can be deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs, with large, showy, often fragrant flowers, often opening before the leaves, and sometimes followed by colourful cone-like fruit
'Leonard Messel' is a vigorous medium-sized deciduous shrub or small tree, with narrowly ovate leaves to 12cm in length. Flowers lilac-pink, paler within, scented, to 10cm in width, with about twelve narrow tepals, and opening before the leaves