Jimbo wrote:
I am in S. Texas. This week some unknown tree has bloomed in town, and it
has the most magnificent large purple blossoms I have ever seen. They are
pretty rare here....I suspect it is because it is not a native species. The
tree is large but doesn't (I don't think) grow as tall as an oak. The
leaves are fairly wide and rounded in shape. I thought it might be a
Magnolia Galaxy, but the blossoms don't look like magnolia at all. I can't
find a good on-line pictorial reference to use for ID'ing unknown trees and
plants.



Hello Jimbo,
It sounds like it may be a Paulowina tomentosa aka "empress tree".

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/c...tomentosa.html



Gello