The white champaca is known by various names in English including pak lan in Hawaii like Cantonese transcription of 白蘭.

Horticultural trade names used in the United States include the taxonomic synonym Michelia alba to fanciful ones such as 'white fragrant himalayan champaca'.

Magnolia × alba matures to 30 meters with evergreen leaves; the flowers have a count of 12 tepals.

[6] In Taiwan, the flowers are plucked from trees before they open and bunches of them are strung together on wire, to be sold at roadside to truck and taxi drivers.

The flowers are similarly used in Thailand, where they are worn as traditional wedding garlands by the bride and groom.