Magnolia champaca

Magnolia champaca

Family: Magnoliaceae

Common name: Champak

Magnolia champaca is a large tree that can grow up to 50 meters or taller, with a narrow umbelliform crown. The tree is known for its strongly fragrant flowers, which bloom in varying shades of cream to yellow-orange between June and September. The fruit is obovoid-ellipsoid in shape, producing 2–4 seeds during the months of September to October.

The flowers of Magnolia champaca have a variety of uses. They are commonly employed in worship ceremonies at home or in temples. The flowers are also worn in the hair by girls and women as a beauty ornament and a natural perfume. Additionally, the flowers are floated in bowls of water to scent rooms, serve as a fragrant decoration for bridal beds, or form part of garlands. The tree has traditionally been used to make fragrant hair oils and massage oils.

This tree is also valued as an ornamental plant, prized for both its beauty and fragrance. Medicinally, the flowers are used to treat a variety of ailments, including leprosy, as a diuretic, and to relieve gastric pain, gas disorders, and kidney conditions.