Filter the cultivar database
Select practical constraints first. Click any table heading to sort.
| Cultivar ↕ | Height ↕ | Width ↕ | Growth ↕ | Habit ↕ | USDA zone ↕ | Leaf underside | Flowering | Container | Best uses | Planning note |
|---|
Teddy Bear vs Little Gem vs Kay Parris
A fast three-way decision guide for the cultivars most often compared in compact landscapes.
Teddy Bear
- Best where width is limited.
- Dense, upright form with strongly russet leaf backs.
- Slower and more structurally predictable.
- Strong choice for entries, courtyards and large pots.
Little Gem
- Flowers young and repeatedly in warm conditions.
- Broader than Teddy Bear but still compact for the species.
- Useful for screens, hedges and small feature trees.
- Allow more long-term width than nursery labels may imply.
Kay Parris
- Compact, vigorous and often faster to establish.
- Wavy foliage and abundant flowering.
- Good narrow screen where faster coverage matters.
- Usually needs more vertical room than Teddy Bear.
Selection rules
Measure the future canopy
Filter by mature width, then add clearance from walls, paving, fences and neighboring plants. Do not choose from current nursery size alone.
Match habit to purpose
Columnar forms fit narrow boundaries. Dense pyramidal forms make better screens. Broad species-sized trees need open lawn or park-scale space.
Use pruning as refinement
Light shaping can improve form, but repeated hard pruning cannot permanently convert a large cultivar into a genuinely compact tree.
Data note: Mature dimensions vary with climate, soil, irrigation, root space and pruning. Ranges consolidate commonly published horticultural values and should be checked against local nursery guidance. Core Teddy Bear and Little Gem comparison data was compiled from and expanded on this Magnolia Teddy Bear vs Little Gem guide.