Star magnolia or Saucer magnolia: how to tell them apart?
Star magnolia and Saucer magnolia look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
Star magnolia
Magnolia stellata
Saucer magnolia
Magnolia x soulangeana
Saucer magnolia has large cup- or tulip-shaped flowers with broad petals often tinged pink-purple at the base, whereas star magnolia has smaller, star-shaped flowers with many fine white (sometimes pinkish) petals.
🍃 Leaves
Deciduous, narrow, medium green, appearing after flowering
Deciduous, broad, ovate, medium green, appearing after flowering
🌸 Flowers
Numerous, white, star-shaped, with many fine petals, highly scented
Large cup-shaped flowers, pink to purple on the outside and white inside, opening before the leaves
🍎 Fruits
Twisted pinkish follicle, rarely seen
Elongated reddish follicle, barely visible, rarely produced
🪵 Bark
Grey, smooth
Grey, smooth
📏 Size
2 to 4 m tall
5 to 8 m tall
🗺️ Habitat
Planted as a specimen in small gardens for its early flowering and compact habit
Planted as a specimen in the garden for its spectacular early flowering, before the leaves emerge
⚠️ Toxicity
No known toxicity in humans; non-toxic to dogs and cats according to the ASPCA.
No known toxicity in humans; non-toxic to dogs and cats according to the ASPCA.
🔎 And from the Saucer magnolia side
Star magnolia has smaller star-shaped flowers with many fine white petals, whereas saucer magnolia has large cup-shaped flowers with broad petals, often tinged pink-purple at the base.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.