The tree is in Laurens County. It looks very similar to a saucer magnolia (Magnolia ×soulangiana), but I do not think that is what it is. The leaves and buds look a little different that a saucer magnolia. It is growing in the open sun in a yard. The photos were taken in late September.
Hi Emory,
I’m afraid I am not an expert on cultivated magnolias by any means – there are many hybrids as well as species I do not know. However, this leaf does look like a typical saucer magnolia to me. It does not appear to be another commonly cultivated species, the star magnolia (Magnolia stellata). See: http://www.bbmb.iastate.edu/campustrees/MagnoliaSoulan/MagSoul_leaves.html
Sincerely,
Steve Hill SCNPS