Magnolia stellata

Common Name: Star Magnolia

Named the Star Magnolia for the shape of its 15 petaled flowers. A small, shrubby deciduous tree growing to 15' with dense habit, M. stellata adapts well to formal or home garden settings. It is equally adaptable to a wide array of conditions. It tolerates wind, and while it prefers full sun, it tolerates shade. Blooms at a young age, often as early as 3 years and blooms earlier in the season than most magnolias, usually March-April, featuring narrow white tepals that radiate from the center, as Dorothy Callaway says, "like the rays of a star," in The World of Magnolias, 1994.