Magnolia insignis (syn. Manglietia insignis), the red lotus tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Magnoliaceae, native to Nepal, Assam, Tibet, southern China, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. It is used as a street tree in a number of southern Chinese cities.
Magnolia insignis is an evergreen, or semi-deciduous, up to 30 m tall tree.
The solitary, terminal, erect, white to pink, 7.5 cm wide flowers are fragrant. The fruit is elongate, ovoid-ellipsoid, dehiscent, 7âÂÂ12 cm long, and 3 cm wide.
The diploid chromosome count is 2n = 38.
It was published by Nathaniel Wallich in 1824.
The IUCN conservation status is Least Concern (LC).
It occurs in evergreen broad-leaved forests at elevations of 900âÂÂ1650 m above sea level.
It is used for its wood and as an ornamental plant.