Star Magnolia (Magnolia halleana, recently, M. stellata)
All magnolias have scented flowers, but the Star Magnolia is most fragrant of all, and as a bonus the flowers are double. This is a slow growing tree with an upright and open habit. Its leaf color is medium green in the summer and yellow to bronze in the fall.
The Star Magnolia has beautiful star-shaped flowers in early spring which like the Saucer Magnolia are vulnerable to late frosts. Later flowering cultivars are being developed to escape late frost or freeze. The flowers are usually white; however the cultivar "Rubra" has purple-rose flowers that fade to pink.
Star Magnolia Choices
Many excellent cultivars are available with the Centennial, a 1997 PHS Gold Medal Award winner, being the most vigorous of them all. It is cold hardy to at least -30 degrees F and does very well in the Midwest.Red Star has purplish rose flowers. Waterlily has an upright, bushy form, with pink buds and white flowers.
