Woody > Magnolia > Magnolia stellata > Magnolia stellata 'Royal Star'
Magnolia stellata
'Royal Star'
Royal Star Magnolia
Mike's
Opinion
"
Royal Star Magnolia is an ideal specimen as it is a medium sized tree with rather delicate white blooms presenting an 'airy' appearance when in flower.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Magnoliaceae |
| Genus |
| Magnolia |
| Species |
| stellata |
| Cultivar |
| 'Royal Star' |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Shrub (deciduous) |
| Pronunciation |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 4 - 9 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 5 - 8 |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H6 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -30 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| -20 |
| Height |
| 5-7 m |
| Spread |
| 3-4 m |
Photographs
Awards
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| It is a deciduous shrub/tree that grows to become a small-medium sized plant producing light green leaves and a bright white or pink flowers. It produces brown or red aggregate fruits filled with orange-red seeds that can fall before or after they have matured. |
| Landscape |
| Popular as a landscape feature when in bloom but otherwise having the character of a small tree and thus suitable for landscapes with limited space. Structural pruning will enhance the form and help to produce a more open specimen. |
| Cultivation |
| Royal Star Magnolia can be grown in various types of soil but performs best in a sand or clay loam, with a pH of 5-7 and is able to adapt to dry soils. It can be planted in direct sunlight or partial shade and will survive if not watered regularly. |
| Shape |
| Often grown and pruned in a shrub-like or sphere shape, but naturally grows up and outward as the canopy matures. |
| Growth |
| Slow |
| ID Characteristic |
| Royal Star has relatively small leaves and stature when compared to most other members of the genus. It has bright white or pink coloured flowers surrounded by 10 - 12 sepals in multiple layers. |
| Pests |
| Royal star is susceptible to horse chestnut scale, a sap-sucking insect that embeds eggs in a white material and attaches itself to the tree's bark. Not causing significant damage to the tree, but often considered unsightly. |
| Habitat |
| Best grown in a loamy sand or clay, easily adaptable to dry conditions. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| The bark is smooth and can range from brown to grey in colour with pronounced, small, white lenticels. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Royal Star has conical shaped white coloured buds that are quite tomentose and range in size from 1 - 1.5 cm. The larger terminal buds are the flowers typically superintended by the smaller leaf buds. |
| Leaf Description |
| The leaves are linear shaped with an entire margin and are a light green in colour, 5-10 cm long. |
| Flower Description |
| Royal Star has 12 - 18 narrow tepals in layers arranged in a whorl. Pink buds unfurling to white. |
| Fruit Description |
| It produces brown or red aggregate fruits filled with orange-red seeds that can fall before or after they have matured; fruit ranges in size from 7.5 - 12.5 cm. |
| Colour Description |
| Chestnut brown to grey bark, light green leaves, with a bright, pinkish-white coloured blooms and an absence of autumn colour. |
| Texture Description |
| FIt is a fine to medium textured plant that remains consistent throughout all seasons. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Magnolia stellata 'Royal Star' can be seen at the University of British Columbia's Botanical Garden; a collection that has been growing since the 1960's. Caerhays Castle, Goran, Cornwall, United Kingdom. Lanhydrock House and Garden, Bodmin, Cornwall, United Kingdom. |
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