Headspace (HS), needle trap dynamic adsorption (NTD), and headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to detect the volatile components of Magnolia denudata flowers. A total of 127 volatile components were identified, including 16 alcohols, 31 esters, 17 acids, 39 hydrocarbons, 10 aldehydes, and 14 other compounds. Compared with HS, both NTD and HS-SPME were effective in adsorbing trace volatile compounds, but they also exhibited significant differences in the qualitative and quantitative analyses of specific components. The PCA results indicated that the HS-SPME combined with GC-MS was more suitable for the analyse of the volatile compounds in Magnolia denudata flowers. Among them, the 30 μm PDMS showed the highest comprehensive score, reflecting more comprehensive sample information, but it exhibited poor adsorption of the important volatile compound, methyl 2-methylbutanoate.