Jane was selected at the USDA National Arboretum in the 1950s by Francis DeVos and William Kosar, bred from M. liliiflora ‘Reflorescens’ and M. stellata ‘Waterlily’. The timing matters: the Little Girl series flowers from mid-April into May, two to four weeks later than most deciduous magnolias, which puts the large fragrant purple-red tulip-shaped flowers well beyond the worst frost risk. The blooms occasionally return in midsummer, a quiet bonus.

Jane is genuinely versatile. At 10 to 15 feet with a width of around 12 feet, it works as a specimen, as an informal hedge, against a foundation, or at the back of a shrub border. It tolerates heavy clay soils and air pollution, which expands where it can go. Like all magnolias, its fleshy roots dislike being moved once established, so choose the site thoughtfully, mulch the root zone consistently, and prune only lightly after flowering.