- Botanical Name: Magnolia virginiana
- Common Names: Sweetbay Magnolia
- Description: As an elegantly shaped, profusely fragrant, and fast-growing flowering tree, the Sweetbay Magnolia is a foolproof choice when seeking a decorative and reliable specimen.
What distinguishes the lovely Sweetbay Magnolia?
- Easily grown as either a rounded-canopy tree or a multi-stemmed shrub, perfect for large and small yards alike.
- Gorgeous cream-white blossoms
- A delightful vanilla-scented aroma that can be detected from hundreds of yards away.
- Self-protects against spring frosts; though it does not produce as many blossoms as the classic Southern Magnolia, the flowering Sweetbay Magnolia has the advantage of blooming later in the spring, typically in May and June, effectively avoiding any potential late-spring frosts.
Resistant to magnolia scale (which unfortunately infests most magnolia varieties), tolerates periodic flooding, and can survive even in acidic poorly-drained soils. - Serves as a wildlife refuge; apart from being valued for its ornamental beauty, this compact tree provides excellent shelter, nesting sites, and nourishment to a variety of wildlife, including the sweetbay silkmoth.
- Excellent ornamental tree for small yards.
Keeping up appearances:
Elegantly shaped with a spreading crown, the Sweetbay Magnolia’s deciduous green canopy scrapes up to a decent height of 10-35 ft. with a respective spread, though it grows taller and faster in warmer climates. While it does not have a significant fall color, the flowering Sweetbay Magnolia’s glossy leaves are multi-hued even in the summer, usually dark green with stunning silvery undersides revealed by a tousling from the wind.
A friendly recommendation:
Best exposed to full sun to partial shade, the Sweetbay Magnolia has a 5-10 hardiness zone rating and can sometimes be considered deciduous or evergreen according to the climate. Install a thick layer of mulch around your tree and irrigate if necessary to keep the soil from drying out. Will not survive in dry soils.
*Due to some restrictions, orders cannot be shipped to California. All orders placed to a California delivery address will be fully refunded back to the customer*