Mark A. Miller
Family
Magnoliaceae
Botanical Name
Magnolia virginiana
Plant Common Name
Sweetbay
General Description
The palest butter yellow blooms of sweet bay magnolia offer a delicious lemony fragrance when they bloom in late spring or early summer. Sweetbay may be single or multi-trunked and develops an oval or pyramidal crown when mature. It is native to the eastern and southeastern United States from Massachusetts to Texas and favors open, moist wooded areas and swamplands.
The handsome elliptical green leaves are silvery underneath. Although mainly a deciduous tree, it may remain semi-evergreen in warm, mild winter landscapes. Creamy white, chalice-shaped flowers with a sweet, lemony smell bloom from late spring into summer. Each blossom last for two to three days and stays open just during the say. The petals fade to yellow as they age. The small aggregate fruits are conical and lined with follicles that split open to show orange-red seeds that are eaten by birds.
Grow sweetbay in moist, acid soil. Full sun exposure will encourage full, dense growth and an even habit, but this magnolia also withstands partial shade. It is a resilient tree ideal for home landscapes as well as moist, lowland sites. Southern forms that used to be identified by the now defunct variety name, australis, are less tolerant of cold and remain fully evergreen in winter.
This tree is the larval host plant of the sweetbay silkmoth (Callosamia securifera).
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
9 - 6
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USDA Hardiness Zone
5 - 9
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Sunset Zone
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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Plant Type
Tree
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
15'-60' / 4.6m - 18.3m
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Width
10'-25' / 3.0m - 7.6m
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Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
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Native To
Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, South-Central United States
Growing Conditions
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Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
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Soil Drainage
Average
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Soil type
Clay, Loam, Sand
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Tolerances
Wet Site
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Growth Rate
Medium
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Water Requirements
Average Water, Ample Water
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Habit
Oval/Rounded
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Seasonal Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
White, Ivory
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Fruit Color
Orange Red
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Silver
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green, Light Green, Blue Green, Silver
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Green, Yellow Green, Tan, Silver
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Foliage Color (Fall) Modifier
Spotted/Mottled
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Foliage Color (Winter)
Green, Yellow Green, Tan
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Bark Color
Gray
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Fragrant Flowers
Yes
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
Yes
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Foliage Texture
Coarse
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Foliage Sheen
Glossy
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Evergreen
Semi-Evergreen
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Showy Bark
No
