The tree is native to the Indomalaya ecozone, consisting of South Asia, Southeast Asia Indochina, and southern China. It is found in Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregions, at elevations of 200 1,600 meters (660 5,250 ft.). The fragrant flowers attract butterflies and humming birds. Its aril covered seeds are highly attractive to birds.In Kampala, champak can be found within Uganda Golf course club, Kitante courts, Makerere University, along Lugogo bypass, Wandegeya road among other places.

Champaca is a large evergreen tree with a close tapering conical to cylindrical crown composed of ascending branches. It can grow 33 meters or taller, with some specimens attaining 50 meters. It has a long straight bole that can be 18 - 21 meters long more and, under ordinary forest conditions, 80 - 120cm in diameter. This tree has large mid-green leaves and sweetly fragrant flowers. Branchlets terete with annular scars of caducous stipules, glabrous; apical bud covered by sericeous lanceolate stipules.

BARK:  smooth grey trunk, lenticellate; blaze cream with orange speckles.

LEAVES: slender, glossy bright green leaves droop from horizontal branches, simple, alternate, spiral; petiole 1-3 cm long, stout and plano-convex in cross section; lamina 9.5-25 x 3.5-9 cm, elliptic-lanceolate, apex acuminate with twisted acumen, base acute to attenuate, margin slightly undulate, glabrous, chartaceous; midrib nearly flat above; secondary nerves 12-16 pairs; tertiary nerves closely and strongly reticulate.

FLOWES: solitary, axillary, largeorange, yellow / golden flowers.

FRUIT: red when mature, fruit capsule, follicles, warty, 2-3 cm long, arranged as spike, dehiscing dorsally; seeds 1, scarlet.

Edible: the aromatic bark is sometimes used for the adulteration of cinnamon.

Medicine: bark, leaves, the flowers, and seeds. http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php id=Magnolia+champaca

Agroforestry: the tree is used to reforest badly eroded areas, soil under tree cover increases soil pH, soil organic carbon and available phosphorus.

The flowers yield an essential champaca oil used in perfumery.

Michelia leaf oil is extracted from the leaves.

The sweetly scented flowers are used for hair adornment.

A yellow dye is obtained from the flowers.

Provides timber for furniture, cabinet work, carvings, turnery and pattern making. It can also be used for cement-bonded wood-wool board.

The tree is used as fuel wood.

The tree can be used to make fragrant hair and massage oils.

Flowers are used to be floated in bowls of water to scent the room, as a fragrant decoration for bridal beds, and for garlands.

The flowers can be used for worship at temples and home.

The flowers are worn in hair by girls and women as a means of beauty ornament as well as a natural perfume.

An ornamental tree useful for large gardens and parks.