Magnolia grandiflora

One of our neighbours has this huge magnolia tree in the front garden. The Magnolia grandiflora,bull bay or southern magnolia is a native of the south-eastern states of the US and was brought to Europe in 1726, after being collected by Mark Catesby, a botanist who wrote The Natural History of Carolina in 1730. The name honours Pierre Magnot, a professor of botany from Montpellier, France.
It is strange to see a magnolia in flower at this time of year but it is normal for this variety.