small magnolia tree

Hi Rachel,
You don't indicate where in the US you are. If you are in the south, a magnolia shouldn't be a problem. You can get spring flowering (before leaves) or fall flowering (after leaves). It used to be very popular to trim off the lower branches of the Magnolia Grandiflora so people could sit underneath in the shade. Just trim up the trunk about 6-7 feet and you have an umbrella sort of shape tree with very thick shade underneath.
Magnolias are very large trees but can be kept reasonable size with trimming. Your best bet I think would be to ask at your local garden centers and find a experienced knowledgable worker to recommend a plant and how to trim it. This won't be easy so try the older Mom and Pop type places, rather then the chain stores. Hope this helps you out, if you have more ?'s just ask! There are a few Americans on GOY, who could probably help.

Thanks for your help. i live in Nebraska. yes, i will definitely ask someone at a garden center. hopefully they can reccommend me a smaller magnolia tree. thanks again!