I don't suppose you can get a close up of the branches with the leaves? It almost looks like an English laurel trained into a tree form but enlarging to confirm blurs all the details.

It's not a madrone and it's not a magnolia and other broadleaved evergreen options for this area are limited.

So far it looks like Umbellularia californica.

Can we establish where in the world this is growing?

Pacific Northwest, somewhere in the greater Seattle area.

I'll be visiting them on Mar 30th and will get more photos.

It certainly looks like the California Bay Laurel in my backyard. For that mature of a tree, there may be remnant nuts and shells from last autumn on the ground.

Umbellularia leaves have a strong odor when handled, suspected identification as such can be immediately confirmed that way. Any time of the year.

here's an close up of some leaves

It is definitely the California bay laurel, Umbellularia californica. Those flower bud clusters are unmistakable.

In my area, this is almost always seen in a much shorter, shrubbier form. Rarely as a clear trunked tree.

>In my area, this is almost always seen in a much shorter, shrubbier form. Rarely as a clear trunked tree<

Actually, the opposite is the prevailing situation. With there even being a landmark height specimen in a conspicuous location as far north as Burlington, Skagit County. Now, such are often forking above a comparatively short, thick trunk. But they are certainly not much shorter overall than the small example asked about by SeniorBalloon.

In Portland, these can be seen up to 30 feet tall with a 40-foot spread Mine is single-trunked and approaching 30 feet tall (@~25years). It may be that squirrel-planted specimens are pruned by homeowners to keep them smaller and bushy.

Even 30 ft. is short for this species. In western Washington the typical tall growing lowland mode is the dominant version. Of which the tree asked about on this thread is an example. Otherwise, higher altitude portions of its native range do produce smaller growth types.