Fragrant creamy white 2”3" waxy blossoms in mid-spring sometimes rebloom in mid-summer. Oblong bright green leaves have silver undersides. Grows like a small semi-evergreen to deciduous tree or large, open irregular multi-stemmed shrub in the north and a tall evergreen shade tree in the south. The impressive specimen we saw at the Arnold Arboretum held its leaves all winter. Pink “fruits” hold bright red seeds and adorn the tree in fall. Happy in acidic, damp soil like pond edges but adaptable to well-drained areas too. Tolerates clay and air pollution. Full sun to part shade. Native to the SE US mid-Atlantic region. Z5.