Red Lotus Tree                        

• An evergreen or semi-deciduous tree to 40 ft (12 m) tall, upright rounded form, young shoots gray-pubescence, becoming glabrous (without hairs), shoots ringed at bud.  Leaves alternate, simple, 20 x 6.5 cm, oblong to elliptic, acute or short-accuminate, base wedge-shaped (cuneate), glossy green above, somewhat bluish and glaucous (waxy bloom) below, leathery, margin entire; petiole to 25 mm long.  Flowers terminal, solitary, erect, to 7.5 cm diam., white but tinged with pink to rose, outer petals (tepals) sepaloid, inner petals (tepals) obovate, fragrant, appear after new leaves in spring.  Fruit an elongated cone, to 9 cm long and 3 cm thick, plum red.
• Sun or part shade.  Culture similar to that of Magnolias, best in humus-rich, moist but well drained soil.
• Hardy to USDA Zone 7         Native to western China, Himalaya and Burma.
• Silverton, Oregon: The Oregon Garden -- south east corner of business center.