Sweetbay Magnolia

(Magnoliaceae - Magnolia Family)

Form

• small- to medium-sized, multi-trunked ornamental tree or very large ornamental shrub
• maturing at about 20' tall by 15' wide in its northern range, but over two times larger in its southern range
• upright oval growth habit with layered sympodial branching, becoming more rounded with age
• slow to medium growth rate in its northern range, but a rapid growth rate in its southern range

Culture

• full sun to partial shade
• prefers partial sun in moist, rich, acidic soils for best performance, but is adaptable to various soils, soil pHs, wet sites, and sunny or shady conditions
• propagated by seeds or by rooted stem cuttings
• Magnolia Family, with virtually no disease or pest problems, but alkaline pH soils may render the foliage chlorotic
• abundantly available in ball and burlap form
• Sweetbay Magnolia is somewhat sensitive to being transplanted in Autumn, and care should be taken to amend the soil, fertilize, water thoroughly, mulch adequately, and avoid Winter salt spray, to enhance survival chances during the first Winter

Foliage

• medium to dark green and shiny above, and glaucous silvery-green beneath (a wonderfully contrasting ornamental bicolor effect when the breeze ripples the foliage)
• semi-evergreen to slowly deciduous (a wide variation exists within the species as to leaf retention in Winter), alternate, elliptical, to 6" long
• fall color remains generally green, with individual leaves changing to chartreuse then tan before their slow but continual abscision throughout late Autumn and Winter
• high pH soils may render the foliage chlorotic (yellow-green), best remedied by addition of peat moss to the site soil at transplanting, and annual applications of fertilizer rich in micronutrients

Flowers

• creamy and mildly fragrant when sniffed close-up, with a few flowers opening continuously from late May throughout June, and sporadically thereafter
• sparsely flowering over a long period, but noticeable against a solid green foliage background
• most petals never fully reflex, but remain somewhat upright at full expansion

Fruits

• solid green, somewhat contorted aggregate fruits turn into splitting chartreuse to brown fruits in September, exposing many interior bright red-orange seeds
• fruits are sparse and not ornamentally overwhelming, but noticeable

Twigs

• first-year stems are green with slightly raised leaf scars, turning from greenish-brown to gray in the second year
• terminal floral or vegetative buds are much larger than the laterals, all of which are slightly pubescent, but not nearly as large or prominent as Saucer, Star, or Hybrid Magnolias
• stems are branched sympodially (several stems arise from the same point on a young branch, resembling fingers originating from an upturned hand)

Trunk

• usually multitrunked (rarely single-trunked), with bark that is light gray and smooth, even at maturity

ID Summary

• semi-evergreen elliptical foliage has glossy medium green upper surfaces and silvery lower surfaces, for a bicolored effect in the breeze
• sympodial branching arises from a strongly upright growth habit
• green first-year stems have much smaller Winter buds than Saucer, Star, or Hybrid Magnolias
• fragrant, creamy flowers occur sequentially in early Summer
• usually with a multitrunked, upright oval growth habit, having smooth gray bark

USAGE

Function

• foundation, specimen, or focal point small tree

Texture

• medium texture in foliage and when bare
• open density in foliage and when bare

Assets

• bicolored green/silver foliage during breezes
• early Summer flowering, which is mildly fragrant (no disappointment in Summer floral display, unlike most other Magnolias that attempt to flower during the frosts and freezes of early Spring)
• good multi-season tree (foliage, flowers, fruits, and sympodial branching)
• wet-site tolerant and shade-tolerant

Liabilities

• floral display is never dense and profuse, but sparse and prolonged over a six-week period of time
• abscised waxy leaves in late Autumn and early Winter are slippery to walk on when wet
• chlorotic foliage and slower growth in soils of extremely alkaline pH

Habitat

• zones 5 to 9
• native to the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the Eastern United States

SELECTIONS

Alternates

• small trees or large shrubs for multiseason interest (Acer ginnala, Amelanchier species, Cornus kousa, Parrotia persica, Viburnum cassinoides, etc.)
• trees that flower in late Spring or early Summer (Liriodendron tulipifera, Koelreuteria paniculata, Magnolia grandiflora, Stewartia species, etc.)

Variants

• Magnolia virginiana glauca - variety whose leaf undersides are even more silvery than the species form; the variety of choice

NOTES

Translation

• Magnolia is named for Pierre Magnol, a 17th century French botanist.
• virginiana translates as "from Virginia".

Purpose

• Sweetbay Magnolia is a Magnolia that has four-season ornamental appeal, with no danger of freezing damage to its fragrant creamy early Summer flowers.

Summary

• Magnolia virginiana is an upright large shrub or small multi-trunked tree, having excellent semi-evergreen waxy foliage, fragrant creamy late Spring to early Summer flowers, sparse brown-red Autumn fruits, layered sympodial branching, and smooth gray ornamental bark.