I spotted this Magnolia in the yard of a church. The bloom was slightly passed prime but it was still spectacular. Can someone help me ID it?

Magnolia stellata 'Rosea' is a possibility, and yes it is stunning!

http://www.google.co.uk/search...

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/horticu...

Thanks Janet....I can always expect a response from you. Magnolias are a little iffy here. Often they are victims of a late frost. This one was in a sheltered spot, in a alcove at a church.

They are a little iffy here too Paul, but I have one called Susan which does well. I struggled for a few years with Magnolia soulangiana which was already here, it wasn't a big tree and it struggled to grow. When I moved it, it improved but we always got a late frost which damaged the flowers. I replaced that with one I had grown from a plug plant called Elizabeth, it's very reluctant to increase in size and to flower.

I'm not an ID er, but it looks a lot like like my Leonard Messel, which is always hardy here.

http://www.deeproot.co.uk/phot...

Polly...it certainly looks like your Magnolia. The color and form are right but the center is a little different color.

Leonard Messel came to mind, but the centre is different. If you put photos side by side you will also see a slight difference in the form of the petals.

http://www.dungevalley.co.uk/t...

Well, then I just don't know, and I leave it to Janet, LOL. But if you want a nice hardy magnolia, Leonard is a good one. I would think maybe you could sub Leonard for the one you're looking at and be very pleased with it. It's form is about the same. We also have saucer mags, and get a good bloom about once ever five years. Mostly they are frosted and brown, but the good year is spectacular. Leonard is sooooo much more dependable.

There's not much uglier than a magnolia that is about to bloom that gets frozen.

That's true.