Magnolia stellata
Not everyone has room for a big magnolia in the landscape. These impressive trees can be massive and take up a lot of space.
But if you crave the beauty of the thick leaves and gorgeous flowers without giving up half of your yard, consider growing the petite star magnolia (Magnolia stellata syn. M. kobus var. stellata.).
It may be small, but star magnolia puts on a mighty floral show with heaps of star-like blossoms and large, attractive leaves.
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The showy pinkish-white blossoms open up in the early spring before the foliage starts to emerge.
The flowers aren’t as big as those of some other magnolias, but they make up for it in sheer numbers.
It’s not all about the blooms, though. In late winter or early spring, cute little pussy willow-like fuzzy buds emerge on the branches.
These will eventually become the fragrant blossoms that have at least 12 narrow tepals arranged like a starburst.
After the flowers fade, the bronze-green foliage emerges, turning deep green during the summer and then bright yellow in fall.
At the same time, the plant develops brilliant pink pods that develop into red fruits or seed cones.
It’s a nonstop display of interest and beauty in a fairly small package. I love star magnolias, in case you didn’t notice, and I can’t wait to talk more about them. Here’s what I’ll cover:
Star magnolias can generally thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9 and can grow as either multi-stemmed trees or large shrubs, depending on how you prune them.
They can grow up to 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide, but different cultivars are available in different sizes.
The species plant generally grows as a multi-stemmed shrub that reaches about six feet tall and 15 feet wide, but many cultivars grow taller but less wide.
If you choose to prune your plant into a single-stemmed tree, it will likely grow taller than the species.
Quick Look
Common name(s): Star magnolia, Japanese magnolia
Plant type: Deciduous tree or shrub
Hardiness (USDA Zone): 4-9
Native to: Japan
Bloom time / season: Spring
Exposure: Full to partial sun
Soil type: Loose, rich
Soil pH: 5.5-7.0, slightly acidic to neutral
Time to maturity: 20 years from seed
Mature size: 6 feet by 15 feet
Best uses: Accent, specimen, border
Taxonomy
Order: Magnoliales
Family: Mangoliaceae
Genus: Magnolia
Species: Stellata
Very young star magnolia trees generally won’t flower, but they mature quickly and will bloom by the time they are two or three years old.
The “petals” on the flowers are technically known as tepals, so you might see them called either one.
Originally from Japan, these trees have become popular around the globe because of their low maintenance care needs and outsized display.
How to Grow
I don’t recommend planting star magnolia in a lawn because the shallow roots are sensitive and being close to the surface, are easily damaged by mowers.
You should also plant south or west of a building if you want to try and protect the flowers from late-season frosts. A frost or freeze after the flowers have opened will kill them.
Light
Star magnolias flower best in full sunlight, but they can grow in partial sun, as well.
You can even get away with growing them in partial shade, but flowering will be reduced. If you can, choose a spot that receives six or more hours of direct sunlight every day.
Soil
The ideal soil is loose, rich, peaty, and slightly acidic with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0.
Star magnolias can adapt to soils that don’t fit this description, but heavy clay or extremely alkaline soil won’t work.
If planted in these conditions, the tree will decline and eventually die.
You can alter soil pH, if necessary, though it takes yearly maintenance, but you can’t fix heavy clay.
You’d have to dig down ten feet deep and wide, or more, to amend the soil and even then you’d still run the constant risk of root rot.
Water
Star magnolias prefer consistently moist soil. They will tolerate some occasional dryness, but keeping the soil evenly moist at all times is ideal.
I wish I could tell you that you can maintain this moisture level by adding an inch of water each week, or whatever, but it’s not that easy.
Every garden has different soil and a different climate, and that impacts how much and how often you should water.
Your ground might drain more quickly than average or maybe you are having warm, dry weather, both of which increases how often you need to water.
Or, you might have regular rain and slowly draining soil, which means you don’t need to water much, if at all.
Figuring when and how much to water isn’t too difficult. All you need is a hand or a moisture meter.
Stick either one into the soil and if it feels like a well-wrung-out sponge or registers as moist, you’re good to go. If it feels wetter, don’t water. If it feels dryer, pull out the hose.
When you do water, make sure you are doing so at the soil level and not on the foliage. Consistently wet foliage can invite fungal problems.
Temperature
Watch out, because a late frost can kill the flowers after they open, though the buds are usually safe.
The good news is that since the star magnolia plants are fairly small, you can cover them with a frost blanket to provide protection from any surprise freezes.
If a late frost is in the forecast, head outside and drape frost cloth or a lightweight blanket over the tree and the flowers will live to see another day.
Fertilizing
Good news! You don’t need to fertilize your star magnolia.
These plants evolved in boggy, depleted areas and so long as they have moisture, they’re totally fine without additional feeding.
Cultivars to Select
The species is glorious, and it’s pretty hard to improve on perfection, but there are several star magnolia hybrids and cultivars on the market that manage to do just that.
Whether they have improved flower color or size, or a nicer shape, these are worth a look.
Assume that they are suitable for cultivation in Zones 5 to 9 unless stated otherwise.
Centennial
‘Centennial’ is so exceptional that it was given the prestigious Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society in 2012.
The white or pink-tinged flowers are large for the species at over five inches in diameter on a shrub or tree that grows to height of about 15 feet, though you can train a central leader and it will reach up to 25 feet tall.
No doubt its vigorous growth and prolific flowering, combined with its large flowers and tidy shape helped it earn additional awards, like the gold medal from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
‘Centennial’ found its way into the world after it was bred to celebrate the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard and its centennial, which occurred in 1972.
Chrysanthemumiflora
Yes, the name is a mouthful. But ‘Chrysanthemumiflora’ should be high up on your list of options, even if it’s misspelled – and it often is.
This cultivar was selectively bred by respected nurseryman Koichiro Wada in Japan and it’s one of my favorites, by far.
The flowers have 40 or more petals, so they are extremely full. They do, indeed, look like chrysanthemums.
They also start out as dark pink buds and then open to pale pink flowers, and the tree is absolutely covered from top to bottom in the blossoms.
As if that wasn’t enough, it’s extremely cold tolerant and thrives even in Zone 4. Plus, it stays a perfect size for any garden at 15 feet tall and wide.
Gold Star
‘Gold Star’ is a winner. Literally. It took home the coveted Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 2012.
It’s reasonably sized at just 25 feet tall and 20 feet wide at most, but the impact is huge when the tree is absolutely covered in four-inch creamy yellow blossoms that each have a dozen petals or more.
It’s vigorous, blooms reliably, and is adaptable.
Jane Platt
Jane Platt was an avid gardener who was the daughter of an exporter who often had unusual plants brought back from faraway locales on the ships that his company used.
She gained an appreciation for special plants, particularly rhododendrons, and created gardens in the Pacific Northwest that draw visitors to this day.
The magnolia named in her honor was found in her garden and stabilized to be released on the market.
Now you can find this petite tree, which grows about 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide, in lots of nurseries and home gardens.
The flowers are bright pink, even larger and brighter than those on ‘Chrysanthemumiflora.’ It picked up the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 2012.
Pink Stardust
The fragrant, pinky flowers of ‘Pink Stardust’ cover the leafless tree like a pastel blanket.
Each pale pink blossom can be up to five inches in diameter with dozens of tepals on a shrubby star magnolia that grows about 10 feet tall and wide.
Rosea
“Rosea” is used as a term to describe many of the different pink-flowered star magnolias. They first arrived in the US after a tree was imported to an Oakland, California nursery in 1885.
Now, many clones from the original form are available on the market. Many have unique names, but some just fall under the form Rosea.
Since there can be some variation among this group, expect a plant that is similar in size and shape to the species but with pinkish blossoms that can range from a hint of blush to deep, rosy pink.
Most grow to about 12 feet tall and wide.
Royal Star
When this star magnolia shrub is covered in its four-inch, white to pale pink blossoms, it’s an exciting display.
Plus, the tree is tough and can thrive as far north as Zone 4. It nabbed the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 2012.
‘Royal Star’
When mature, ‘Royal Star’ reaches about 15 feet tall and 12 feet wide.
You can find ‘Royal Star’ available from Fast Growing Trees in a variety of sizes.
Rubra
The flowers on ‘Rubra’ start as purplish-pink buds before opening into pink blooms. The leaves are a beautiful yellowy-green color that stands out from other types of star magnolias.
This compact cultivar grows to about 10 feet tall and wide.
Waterlily
Hardy in Zones 4 to 8, ‘Waterlily’ blooms with white flowers that pop open in the spring a few weeks later than the species plant.
That’s ideal if you tend to have surprise late frosts that might kill early blooms. Plus, the flowers are larger than the species and have up to 36 arcing tepals. The leaves are dark green.
The tree can grow to 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide, but most stay about half that size.
Pruning and Maintenance
Young woody growth is smooth and reddish-brown, and as it matures, it becomes silvery gray.
Along with its densely twiggy habit, it can be an attractive accent in the winter garden, but it will look best if you prune it.
To be clear, the shrub doesn’t require pruning. But if you want to create winter interest or maintain a tree-like shape, you’re going to want to do a little trimming.
Pruning should be done right after the plant has finished flowering. If you wait much longer, you run the risk of pruning off the growth that will produce the flowers in the following year.
Use caution while working around the trees, because they have shallow roots and they’re easily disturbed.
When you prune in the spring, cut the branches back to the main growing stem or nearest branch, cutting the removed section flush. You don’t want to leave a little stump behind.
If you want to maintain a single trunk, identify the largest, healthiest option and leave it.
Cut any secondary branches down to the ground. You’ll need to keep doing this as the shrub sends up new growth.
Propagation
There are lots of effective ways to propagate magnolias. You can dig up suckers, take stem cuttings, sow seeds, or transplant nursery starts.
Our guide to growing magnolias covers a variety of propagation methods.
You can’t grow hybrids from seed, as they will not produce true to the parent plant. If you wish to start the species from seed, check out our guide to propagating magnolias from seed to learn the steps.
Managing Pests and Disease
The first thing you want to do is protect young plants from deer, rabbits, and other hungry herbivores.
Keep young plants safe with a fence. After the trees mature a bit, they’re better able to withstand a little feeding.
When it comes to insects, aphids, scale, and tulip poplar weevils (Odontopus calceatus) are pretty much the only pests you’ll see. While the first two are common, the third is less common but more problematic.
Tulip poplar weevils live in the eastern half of North America. The larvae hatch in the spring and feed on developing leaves and buds, causing weak, stunted, and distorted growth.
There are lots of ways to deal with weevils, including introducing beneficial predators, or using products that contain the beneficial fungi like Beauveria bassiana.
When you grow star magnolias in the appropriate conditions, diseases are rare.
Various leaf spots and verticillium wilt are the main ones and are more common in plants that are crowded, in poor draining soil, or watered on the foliage.
Learn about all the potential problems in our guide to magnolia diseases.
The Star of the Show
When a star magnolia is in bloom, there’s nothing else in the garden that can compete!
A freakin’ sasquatch could walk by and no one would even notice because all eyes will be laser focused on the glorious blooms.
But unlike some blooming plants, star magnolia is still attractive even when the flowers are gone. The thick leaves, bright seed cones, and beautiful young bark all add to the garden display.
What do you love best about these plants? Let us know in the comments section below!
And for more information about growing magnolias in your landscape, check out these guides next:
