What is the name of these flower trees?

Question

I need the names (common and/or scientific) for these two flowered trees. Both of them are found in New Jersey and recently bloomed. Thank you!

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/4237/smallbd5.jpg

http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/6457/smallpinkxt7.jpg

Oops.. I meant, what are* the names.

Answer 1

The first picture is a star magnolia Magnolia stellata.
http://www.paghat.com/starmagnolia.html
http://www.hort.wisc.edu/mastergardener/Features/woodies/starmagnolia/Magnolia%20stellata.htm
The second is a tulip magnolia Magnolia soulangiana.
http://www.paghat.com/tuliptree.html
http://www.pbase.com/hjsteed/foliage_tulip_tree
Here is another color Magnolia x brooklynensis are hybrids of Magnolia acuminata and Magnolia liliiflora.
http://www.biologie.uni-ulm.de/systax/dendrologie/magbrook.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mialewis/461890037/
Here is a new one I'm hoping to convince my neighbor is her dream tree.
http://www.monrovia.com/monroviaweb.nsf/8c104835579b67e18825685f006acdf8/d160a9b748cf10a485256f390066ff62!OpenDocument

Answer 2

If the trees have either white or pink flowers my first guess would be Dogwoods, Cornus florida as these are common in residential areas and also grow wild (although most have been wiped out from Anthracnose). They would not be blooming now though. I am in coastal Massachusetts, 6b/7a and Dogwoods do not bloom until the end of April. Ditto Redbuds, Cercis canadensis. They bloom with the Dogwoods. The only earlier blooming trees or large shrubs are the various Amelanchiers or Witch Hazels, Hamamellis sp.. The Amelanchiers bloom here in mid to late April and the flowers are white. Witch hazel cultivars bloom at various times from late winter to spring with many flower colors possible though I have never seen pink. Here is what I suggest you do. Go and carefully clip a small flowering branch, preferably using pruners as not to hurt the tree. Bring it in and get a couple good photos of the flowers showing their structure. Leaves too if there are any. Post a new q with the photos.

Answer 3

The first one looks almost like a Magnolia (but I'm here in the south---don't even know if you get those up North, and couldn't tell the scale of the bloom by your pic) and the second one looks like a Tulip Poplar (common name).

Both are very pretty!

Answer 4

They look like Magnolias but I couldn't tell for sure without seeing the whole tree.