Sweetbay magnolia

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; flowering is best with plenty of sun, provided the roots stay moist.

Water

Keep the soil consistently moist, especially during establishment. Established trees tolerate wet ground and occasional flooding better than prolonged drought.

Soil

Acidic, humus-rich soil; moist loam, sandy soil or clay. Tolerates poor drainage but performs poorly in chalky or alkaline ground.

Height

10-35 ft (3-10.7 m); can reach 60 ft (18.3 m) in warm climates

Spread

10-20 ft (3-6.1 m); sometimes wider in warm climates

Flowers

Late spring to early summer, with occasional flowers later in summer; creamy white and lemon-scented.

Foliage

Smooth, oval green leaves with conspicuously pale, silvery undersides. Usually deciduous in cold climates, retaining more leaves through winter in mild areas.

Growth

Moderate; faster in warm conditions with reliable moisture.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Fragrant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   8 ft (2.3 m)

3. After 2 years

   9 ft (2.6 m)

4. After 3 years

   10 ft (2.9 m)

5. After 5 years

   12 ft (3.5 m)

About 16 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply during dry spells for the first two growing seasons; do not let the root ball dry out.
• Spread 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of leaf mould or composted bark over the root area, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Plant with the root flare at soil level and avoid disturbing the shallow roots afterward.
• Feed lightly in spring only if growth is weak or a soil test shows a deficiency.
• In colder regions, choose a sheltered position away from drying winter winds.

Pruning. Prune lightly in midsummer after the main flowering flush, removing crossing branches and unwanted basal shoots if you want a single trunk. Avoid heavy pruning; remove dead or broken wood when noticed.

Spring

Plant once the soil is workable, particularly in colder regions, and water the root ball thoroughly.

Spring

Renew the mulch and check that it is not touching the trunk.

Late spring

Check new leaves for yellowing between green veins, which can indicate unsuitable alkaline soil.

Summer

Water during dry weather, soaking the root area rather than giving frequent light sprinklings.

Midsummer

After the main flowers fade, make any light shaping cuts and remove unwanted basal shoots.

Autumn

Plant in mild climates while the soil is warm; leave developing fruits for birds.

Winter

Check newly planted trees after strong winds and firm loosened soil gently without burying the root flare.

• Plant beside a path or seating area where you can enjoy the flower scent and see the silvery leaf undersides.
• Use as a multi-stemmed specimen in a moist lawn or open woodland garden.
• Combine with ferns, inkberry and summersweet in an acidic, moisture-retentive border.
• Place on the moist margin of a rain garden, allowing room for its mature canopy.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Wildlife garden, Sensory garden, Southern, Bog garden and White garden.

Plant it with: Summersweet, Virginia sweetspire, Inkberry, Cinnamon fern, Royal fern and Cardinal flower.

Wildlife: Beetles visit and pollinate the flowers. Birds eat the red-coated seeds, and the foliage supports several moth caterpillars, including sweetbay silkmoth in its native range.

• Yellow leaves with green veins: alkaline soil can prevent iron uptake. Test the soil; use chelated iron as a temporary treatment and consider relocating a young tree if the soil is strongly alkaline.
• Leaf scorch or premature leaf drop during drought: water deeply and maintain an organic mulch over the root area.
• Scale insects and sooty mould: inspect twigs and leaf undersides; prune out badly infested small shoots and use a labelled horticultural oil when appropriate.
• Winter leaf burn or shoot dieback: shelter young trees from drying winds, maintain soil moisture before freezing weather and remove dead tips once new growth reveals the damage.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. No part is recognised as a significant poisoning hazard, though eating plant material may cause mild digestive upset; it is not a food plant.

• Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)

  Has much larger flowers and thicker, leathery evergreen leaves, often with rusty-brown felt beneath rather than sweetbay's silvery undersides.

• Sweetbay laurel (Laurus nobilis)

  Has strongly aromatic culinary bay leaves without silvery undersides, small yellowish flowers and dark berries rather than large white flowers and cone-like fruits.

• Swamp bay (Persea palustris)

  Has small greenish flowers, dark berry-like fruits and leaves often rusty-hairy beneath; sweetbay magnolia has showy white flowers and red seeds exposed from cone-like fruits.

Magnolia honours the French botanist Pierre Magnol, virginiana refers to Virginia, and sweetbay describes the fragrant flowers and bay-like leaves.

Propagation. Sow fresh, cleaned seed in autumn outdoors, protected from rodents, or provide a period of moist chilling before spring sowing. Seedlings vary; named selections are usually propagated by softwood cuttings under controlled humidity.

Accepted botanical name

Magnolia virginiana

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Alabama, Arkansas, Cuba, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Masachusettes, Mississippi and New Jersey.

Measured

Soil pH 5 to 6.9. Average height 1500 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.