Like saucer magnolia , it is deciduous, making a twiggy, naked frame in winter, but a good deal denser.
Leaves turn yellow to bronze before falling.
It is striking when in bloom, since it appears to be completely covered with flowers and blooms before leaves come out. The flowers themselves are star-shaped with at least 12 thin, delicate petals. The star magnolia usually blooms a little ahead of saucer magnolia. Location Native to Japan. Introduced to the United States in the 1860s.