Hello sir.

Is the Liriodendron tulipifera https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a878 that we are talking about?

If so I say prune it shortly after it flowers for best flower production the next year though there may be other species specific health concerns I do not know about.

You'll be able to raise its canopy at will. Selective thinning will eventually require climbing. I like their natural look so maybe an every several year thing will do.

Far as it eliminating its shaded or lower branches, sort of. In a forest they absolutely do. In an opem yard they'll probably still thin themselves out but you'll have some branches that reach to the ground. They'll make mowing difficult but put them beautiful flowers at eye level. I'd try to go for a balance with mowing and flower visibility.

Magnolia soulangeana "Black Tulip" may be the OP's tree. It would be good to clarify that before we give pruning advice LOL.

“Black Tulip” is a hybrid Magnolia, not a cultivar of M. soulangiana:

”sometimes listed as a selection of Magnolia x soulangiana, but its background is more complex than that. It is the result of a cross, made by Mark Jury, of 'Vulcan' as the seed parent and possibly 'Iolanthe' as the pollen parent (Gardiner, 2000). The background of these parents includes a number of Magnolia species.”

https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/magnolia-black-tulip

Thanks Toronado! Here's the tree: https://www.monrovia.com/black-tulip-magnolia.html

And here's a pic of what I'm talking about after it loses it's flowers:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/569423946619045411/

It's located against a fence in a garden so no mowing required. ;)

I'm not necessarily looking to raise the canopy but rather remove leaves so that it doesn't just look like a wall of green. Would like to see the branches which will make it more interesting. Just want to make sure that when I remove the leaves in summer, that I'm not limiting the blooms next year.

Thanks Again!!

The leaves serve a purpose. You do not want to remove them if you value the long term health of the tree. And being a pretty small sized tree to begin with, the loss of any leaves during the growing season could very well have an adverse impact.

You can see the branches in winter and when the tree is in flower before the leaves emerge. But do not remove just for aesthetics!!

Good to know- glad that I asked! Thanks for the info Gardengal!

In addition, magnolias tend to resent pruning.

i think you ought to go buy more plants.. and screw around with those.. and leave this poor thing alone.. lol...

a shrub with large potential can take 2 to 4 years to settle in .. and get growing to specs.. we call that getting established ....depending on how well you planted it ..

so your plant is not fully established ... and your only thing is.. im going to start cutting off the food making machines [leaves].. because i know better that it.. how it should grow ..

no.. no..no.. leave it alone.. and as stated above.. go buy more plants

and i suspect in 5 years.. you will love this plant as it is.. shrubs should be some of the most carefree plants i in the garden.. presuming you sited them properly from the gitgo ... [meaning you didnt plant then 2 feet from the foundation...lol]

now.... all that said... after it does get fully established .. and you want to start pruning it for aesthetics.. then knock yourself out ... its your plant.. in your garden.. and i approve you doing whatever you want to your plants ...

ken