small tree
Star magnolia 'Royal Star'
Magnolia stellata 'Royal Star'
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Hardy in zones 4–8, Star magnolia 'Royal Star' is a slow-growing deciduous small tree. It grows 10–20 ft tall and 10–15 ft wide, so plant it 11.5 ft apart. Give it full sun to part shade and average water. It flowers white in March to April. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the anchor role: the one larger plant that anchors the back of a bigger bed. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in Florida and the Gulf and the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Magnolia stellata 'Royal Star'
- Plant type
- Small tree, deciduous
- Hardiness zones
- 4 to 8
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Prefers moist, acidic, well-drained soil; late frost can brown the early flowers.
- Mature size
- 10–20 ft tall × 10–15 ft wide
- Spacing
- 11.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Mar–Apr · white
- Roles in a bed
- Anchor, Structure
- Styles
- classic, cottage, modern
- Deer resistance
- Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. ASPCA lists Magnolia bush (Magnolia stellata) as non-toxic to dogs and cats (aspca.org search result, 2026-11).
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 7-gallon pot, typically $70–$130 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat waves, so the root ball never dries out.
- Pruning
- Prune lightly right after flowering, only to remove crossing or dead branches.
Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings (A-D); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Star magnolia 'Royal Star', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Bearded irisIris germanicaperennial · zones 3–9
- Dwarf Korean lilac 'Palibin'Syringa meyeri 'Palibin'shrub · zones 3–7
- Arborvitae 'Emerald Green'Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd'shrub · zones 3–7
- Feather reed grass 'Karl Foerster'Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'ornamental grass · zones 4–9
- Garden phlox 'David'Phlox paniculata 'David'perennial · zones 4–8
- Lamb's ear 'Helen von Stein'Stachys byzantina 'Helen von Stein'perennial · zones 4–8
If you can't find it
Plants that do the same job and pass the same rules for the conditions Star magnolia 'Royal Star' suits.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants