Magnolia stellata 'Leonard Messel'

Leonard Messel Magnolia is smothered in stunning fragrant fuchsia star-shaped flowers with shell pink overtones, yellow eyes and pink centers at the ends of the branches in mid spring before the leaves. It has dark green deciduous foliage. The pointy leaves do not develop any appreciable fall colour. The fruits are showy pink pods displayed from early to mid fall.

Landscape Attributes

Leonard Messel Magnolia is a deciduous tree with a distinctive and refined pyramidal form. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Planting & Growing

Leonard Messel Magnolia will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 80 years or more.

This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.