Most beautiful spring white-flowering tree?

Could've been a rosebay rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum); those will remind one of a southern magnolia, but have the big flower heads like other rhodies. It is native to the southern US.

Here's the PlantFiles entry: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/58228/

Thank you! Now I've GOT to go back to the original and take a look.

Rebecca, I was looking for more distant shots to show fuller plant habit for styrax and stewartia.
I couldn't find much but these may give you a general idea.
Here is the styrax. Unfortunately it only shows the upper half of the tree.
The trunk is hidden by the deck.

And here is a stewartia. This is stewartia pseudocamellia.

Oops. Forgot the pix.

And this is the stewartia a little further away.
Still, not a full shot to show the growth habit.
I'll try to take a pix of the beautiful bark if I get a chance.

And finally, the trunk.
I went out today and took this photo.
Don't mind the plastic fencing...
Alas, my deer would love to rub their antlers against this beautiful bark!

The trunk is amazing. It looks like a madrona, only more so. I have never seen anything like that, in "Garden Design" magazine or anywhere. I am really learning a lot here!

Weeping cherry is pretty good. They come in white and pink.


http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/15584/

Do they call those yoshino or higan? I ordered a yoshino once and it looked like it was weeping, even though it wasn't described as weeping in the catalogue.

If you are considering Stewartia know that there is a native shrub, Stewartia malacodendron (Silky camellia) that grows in the Southeastern US. I had one before deer got to it...the only pic I have is from my cell phone so sorry about the quality:

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=STMA

I found a picture by Steve Nix (that really doesn't show them as well as yours). Nix called them one of "the most beautiful flowering trees in the Southeastern United States."

Quite fascinating. I am trying a rhododendron to see how it will do here, and waiting on the results to decide on whether to try a camellia sassanqua. Perhaps the Stewartia would be better! Thank you, passiflora_pink.

Not sure where Stewart, TN is...but Shadow Nursery in Winchester TN is a wholesale vendor that has grown exceptional Stewartia spp. as large nursery stock for years. I have purchased many selections from there, including Stewartia koreana, Stewartia pseudocamellia, Stewartia rostrata, and Stewartia serrata.

Stewartia ovata is another southern US native (local in SE KY mountains) to keep in mind, though it is not widely available.

In addition to viburnums, you can't have too many Stewartia. What better genus to immerse in - given where you reside?

P.S.: Resin will be by shortly to correct all the spelling to Stuartia...

Thank you for the tip. Winchester is near Chattanooga and not really very far from us (when you look at a road map of Tennessee, there is a blank space in the middle and that is where we are. Quite nice. We actually get dark enough to see the stars.)

McMinnville, of course, is our main nursery place.

Generally speaking, have you had much better experience securing plants direct from nurseries, or ordering online? Since I have been using Dave's list, I believe I actually have better results from the mail than from nurseries.

If Shadow Nursery is wholesale, will they sell in lots as small as five?

Thank you for the information. Awaiting Resin's commentary, and always happy to hear from Northumberland.

Yep!

Stewartia is an error for Stuartia under the ICBN Article 60, reason being that the genus was named after the botanist John Stuart (1713-1792; 3rd Earl of Bute). When Linnaeus first described the genus, the man's name was given to him with the wrong spelling and he used that in error.

http://data.kew.org/cgi-bin/vpfg1992/genlist.pl?THEACEAE

Resin

Classic.

Well, I suppose Stuartia is better than Hotspurria.

You've received a lot of great suggestions so far. I just wanted to add my vote for some type of magnolia. I love to see (and smell!) the flowers on magnolias every year. It just says "spring" to me. There are so many more varieties that are hardy in the southern states than there are up here.

Do you have some magnolias, velnita? I have planted three cultivars of the classic magnolia grandiflora here, but have not tried any of the other kinds because the last one I had (in Kentucky) got this ghastly prehistoric-looking scale that I had to spend every waking hour putting oil on to get rid of.

I wish that I had one. I love them. But we really only have room enough for one small tree and it's in "hubby's area" of the yard so it will be his choice. I've hinted around but it's up to him. Many of the magnolias that sound best to me aren't cold hardy enough for here anyway or they'll live okay but the blooms may get bit by a late frost in spring.

Have you thought about a lilac tree?