Botanically, Magnolia × alba is a hybrid (the result of a cross) between M. champaca L. and M. montana Blume. This plant is known in Indonesia and several neighboring countries because its flower buds are often used in traditional ceremonies or certain rituals. This hybrid is grown as an ornamental plant and used medicinally. The flower extract produces essential oil which can be used as a fragrance (perfume) and aromatic agent in tea. In China, it is known as bai lan, where the flowers are used to make yulan tea. In traditional Chinese medicine, the flowers are also used to mobilize qi and relieve coughs.

White cempaka prefers sandy, well-drained soil. Like most tropical members of the Magnoliaceae family, white cempaka grows best in acidic soil, ranging from pH 6.5 to as acidic as pH 5.6. This plant requires full sun and moderate watering, and does not tolerate overwatering.

• Stems are woody, large plants, branching far from the ground, and the bark is gray. The twigs and leaves are fragrant when crushed. The twigs are persistent, forming a broad umbrella-like crown. Young twigs and dense buds are pale yellowish-white, smooth, and the trichomes gradually fall off with age. Stipule scars almost reach the middle of the petiole.

• Leaf petioles are 1.5-2 cm long, sparsely hairy; leaf blades are long, elliptic to narrowly ovate, 10-27 cm × 4-9.5 cm, thinly leathery; the underside is sparsely hairy; the leaf surface is smooth; the veins are very conspicuous on both surfaces when dry, the base is pointed, the apex is long, tapering to caudate-acuminate.

• Flowers are very fragrant. Tepals 10, white, lanceolate, 3-4 cm × 3-5 mm. Stamens are emergent and form a long tip. Gynophore is 4 mm long; gynoecium is smooth; The carpels are numerous, usually partially undeveloped, forming sparse, follicular fruits as the torus elongates as it matures.

• The fruit is single, round, 2-3 cm in diameter, green when young and turning yellow-red as it matures.

• There are two methods of white cempaka propagation: generative (seed) and vegetative. Many farmers grow white cempaka flowers vegetatively by grafting/budding.

Cleans the feminine area and cures coughs.

• Minyak atsiri (campbene, β-pinene, α-phellandrene, β-myrcene, limonene, 1,8-cineole), linalool, metil eugenol, metil etil-ester asetat, asam asetat, (-)-N-formylanonaine, (-)-oliveroline, (+)-nornuciferine, lysicamine, (+)-cyperone, (+)-epi-yangambin, ficaprenol-10, pheophytin a, aristofil C, dan michephyll A