Name of shrub? Large flowers, dark green leaves?

My grandmother had one a long time ago. It was quite large, not an azalea. It had large white flowers and green leaves. I think the flowers had no scent, but that could be wrong...it was so long ago. I do remember very large blossoms though.

Name of shrub? Large flowers, dark green leaves?
Are the leaves very thick and dark green with a kind of furry underside? It could be a magnolia (see picture of flower: http://www.backyardnature.net/fl_magno.h... Although magnolia's have a scent it isn't very strong. They're really a tree but I've seen them kept small, especially if they're not in full sun.



It also could be a camelia-here's a pic of one that's pink but I've seen them get really close to white. The picture is 1/4 of the way down the page. http://members.lycos.co.uk/devonbelle194...
Reply:It would also help us, if we knew what USDA hardiness zone you/ grandma were in. That could change/ narrow the scope.



Peony is a good shot, so is Rhododendron. Do you remember the color of the flower? How about its approximate size? Baseball? Softball?



There are alot of larger "flowered" shrubs in the Viburnum group. Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) has large flowers (most have a fragrance... though).



I hope that this potpourri of answers helps you narrow your search.
Reply:It was probably a Rhododendron. The blooms are very large. They are white, light or dark pink, or lilac. The white is the most popular version.
Reply:hibiscus maybe
Reply:its hard to tell without a pic, but lots of the old timers had rose of sharon shrubs. white was the most popular but later collected the other lite colors of flowers. would help if i knew where your grandma lived. even then, there are so many possibilities.
Reply:Hydrangea, snowball bush. My grandma had one of them as well. Very pretty.
Reply:ok. not hydrangea, how about peony? were the flowers realy big or could it be that you remember them being really big because you were small?
Reply:Sounds like a Peony. I used to have one years ago and they are a beautiful flower. The other thing I remember is the ants used to always be on the flower buds, chewing on them to help them open.
Reply:There are so many things it could be; without any more detail, it's really hard to say. What part of the country was it in? Was it an evergreen, or did it drop its leaves in winter? What shape were the leaves? What time of year did it flower?



I doubt it's a peony--they are long-lived perennials, not shrubs, and are usually 3-feet or smaller. My first thought, if you're sure it's not an azalea, hydrangea, or rose of sharon, is that it might be a camellia. They grow in the warmer regions of the country, are evergreen, and have large flowers in the fall, winter, or spring (some varieties are white-flowered, although they also come in other colors).



Another possibility is a magnolia, which can sometimes grow in a shrubby form. But there are many, many other possibilities. You might try checking mail-order gardening companies' websites for shrubs and see if you can find pictures to match your memory of the shrub. Wayside Gardens is one that has good pictures and descriptions.