star magnolia
Magnolia stellata · Magnoliaceae
star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) is a perennial tree in the Magnoliaceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 6 and warmer, down to about -8°F.
At a glance
| Type | tree USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 26 ft USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | moderate USDA |
| Soil pH | 5–6.2 USDA |
| Bloom | April–May USDA |
| Flower color | White USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 6 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | understory Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It needs full sun. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated low. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 5 to 6.2 — acidic ground. Its cold limit is zone 6.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 26 ft, making it a substantial woody plant. It grows at a moderate rate.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of April through May. Flowers are white.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its active growth period is spring. USDA rates its lifespan as long.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 35 to 60 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 160 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 18 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
It takes readily from seed, cuttings, bare root and container stock. Seed needs cold stratification — a period of moist chilling — before it will germinate, so sow in autumn or chill it artificially before a spring sowing. It does not spread vegetatively, so it will stay where you put it.
Resilience and wildlife
Its fire tolerance is rated low, and it can resprout after damage. Its growth form is recorded as multiple stem.
Role in a guild
Understory. In a layered planting this is the layer beneath the canopy, tall enough to hold structure but shaded from above. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Magnolia
- cucumber tree Magnolia acuminata
- mountain magnolia Magnolia fraseri
- southern magnolia Magnolia grandiflora
- Puerto Rico magnolia Magnolia portoricensis
Similar role and hardiness
- big bluestem Andropogon gerardii
- may hawthorn Crataegus aestivalis
- ravennagrass Saccharum ravennae
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol MAST6, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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