Meantime on land that you have control over, plant what you like, rip out what you don't Such a narrow view. There are choices that some people make on their own land that affect others. That is what invasives are all about. Similar to pollution - people that create it (on their own property) eventually share it with others. Was it right that they did what they wanted on their own land? What about if you dump pollution in a stream on your own land but it flows downstream to others? Just like streams, private properties are not isolated, they connect together. To me, and others, invasive plants affect all of us at some point. And yes, bad diseases and pests have been brought in on imported plants by people that thought they could do what they wanted. And now Elms, Chestnuts and Hemlocks are dead and dying. True, it was an accident, no one did this this on purpose; but this is one of the risks that come with "doing what you want". And it affected LOTS of people and even wildlife. I don't know if that was the source of the dogwood issues, btw. I'd like to encourage everyone to think beyond yourself and consider that your actions can have impacts on other people and the environment. When you're considering new plants, research them and find out what they're about. Make an informed decision.

Magnolia soulangeana the link out to excite you ken https://www.google.com/search?q=Magnolia+soulangeana&biw=994&bih=745&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiKsey_ivHLAhXmnYMKHUcuB7MQ_AUIBigB&dpr=0.9

I want to know too! Fwiw, before Google, a botanist at Pearl City at extension service told me it was gumi or goumi, a Japanese ornamental. Now that I search on that name, gumi looks nothing like this plant. Good thing I cut it down and yanked the root from my garden back then!

"But no one has told me what the difference is between Prunus laurocerasus and Prunus caroliniana. No such clarification was posted. My original question was about identification of a tree. Is there some reason to believe that I have one, rather than the other? " It was properly identified by botanical name by Embothrium. Prior to that, just one of many common names was used for ID however that common name is often applied to both species. Prunus caroliniana is a native species that includes Texas as part of its natural range. It would be very unusual for Prunus laurocerasus to pop up spontaneously in your area but entirely natural for P. caroliniana to do so. It is also more tree-like in habit than Prunus laurocerasus, which is most often grown as a large shrub with no discernible trunk and the leaves present somewhat differently (smooth margins for one and slight serration for the other). As to the negative attributes you list, other than the propensity for P. laurocerasus being invasive in specific areas, they are just not serious enough to worry about.