This is a stellata Magnolia we've had for a while that came from Henderson Experimental Gardens. This one has 20-25, sometimes more, tepals. See if you can find one online or from a book that matches it? Photos uploaded from the digital camera on March 3, 2006.
That is a nice looking star Magnolia. Commercially I think the only one that rings a bell with me is Royal Star, I believe it was reputed to have the pink blush...
jimmyq, this Star Magnolia has been sold as 'Royal Star' in the past. As a matter of fact we had some b&b plants of this Magnolia come in from an Oregon nursery that had 'Royal Star' labels on the plants. When they bloomed we knew they were not 'Royal Star'. The amount of tepals are close to being the same but year in and year out, this old form of this venerable Star Magnolia has more tepals even though 'Royal Star' is also listed as having 20-25 tepals. 'Royal Star' generally does not have much pink blush in the interior tepals but has more of a pink blush to the exterior tepals when it first opens from its pink buds and has a light pink stripe on the backside of the tepals. The pink blush quickly fades out and the pink stripe becomes much less visible as the flower ages before the entire flower turns white. Even when this Star Magnolia fades to white there is still a light pink stripe on the backside of the tepal even as the tepals fall off the tree. Where the two Magnolias are telltale different is in the color of the center of the flower. One will hold some pink while the true 'Royal Star' is green in the center. Another difference is that this one has cupped shaped, tipped ends to the tepals and the 'Royal Star' has more strap-like shaped tepals with few to no cupped-end tepals. . Jim
This is an interesting form Jim. My knowledge of Magnolias is pretty slim, but I noticed the bloom is reminiscent of a chrysanthemum. Also noticed a listing for a stellata 'Chrysanthemumiflora'. Any relation? Thought I'd share a couple shots taken last week of 'Jane Platt' in my garden - it shows the diversity of forms within this group.
Mixups are frequent. Lately I have seen what appears to be a Kosar-DeVos hybrid received by one local outlet as 'Alexandrina'. Another place was sent saucer magnolias as 'Heaven Scent', and received 'Rubra' star magnolias as a white cultivar (and vice versa). I am growing a 'Yellow Bird' that was sold to me as 'Butterflies'.
