Star Magnolia
The star magnolia is usually the first magnolia to bloom in spring (or even sometimes in winter, depending on the weather). It has elegant, starburst flowers made up of long thin petals that can vary in color from snow white, to deep pink, and from lightly to intensely scented. Just a handful of star magnolia have been planted in Central Park, mostly behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art (planted during the reconstruction of the Great Lawn in the 1990s). The star magnolia has a subtle lemon scent when pruned.
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Leaves
2-4 inches long, 1-2 inches wide, elliptic -
Fruit
2 inch aggregate, knobby surface, reddish-green -
Flower
3-4 inches across, white to pink-tinged, 12 to 18 petals -
Bark
Young twigs are smooth, chestnut brown; main trunks have smooth, silvery-gray bark; cut branch reveals slight lemon scent
