This small evergreen magnolia shines in the winter with bright green and silver foliage. The leaves hold a bright green color that is cheerful in our gray weather with brilliant silver undersides that sparkle and flash on a breezy day. If the foliage is crushed it releases a pungent bay leaf aroma. In early summer fat buds open revealing a delicate cup of ivory white petals that open a few at a time through the summer lightly perfuming the air with the fragrance of lemon. The small stature makes it an excellent choice for the urban landscape. Easily grown as either a single truck or multiple trunk specimen it adds a natural grace in the garden. The compact scale of the tree make it a good choice for around patios and it combines well with rhododendrons, azaleas and compact shrubs.

Should be planted in a protected area to protect foliage from drying winter winds.