Magnolia kobus, commonly known as Kobus magnolia, is native to forest areas in Japan, but can easily be found in Court 2 on the Medford Campus as well as by Parking Lot B. Among magnolias, this species is one of the earliest to bloom in spring.
It is noted for its late winter to early spring bloom of goblet-shaped to cup-shaped, fragrant, often pink-tinged, white flowers, which open at the very end of March before the foliage emerges. Interestingly, kobushi in Japanese means fist, in reference to the shape of the flower bud resembling a small fist.
This one is worth a trip to visit – if only for the fragrance!
