PlantFiles: Sweetbay Magnolia, Silver Bay, Swamp Bay
Magnolia virginiana

I love the form of this little tree: the slender white trunk, usually in multiples (think crepe myrtle without the mess). The flowers are insignificant, but aromatic. It is a sculptural tree that looks professional in landscaping if done correctly. My husband calls it the "aspen of the South" because of its shimmery silver appearance in the sun. Terrific native that is host to swallowtail butterflies.

I just had my landscaper install one of these beautiful trees as a focal point in front of my newly constructed home. I waited for it to bloom and when it did I was dissapointed. The flowers will bloom in the morning and the fragrance is heavenly...and by the time evening arrives they are turning brown. Nothing I have read prepared me for this, as I had thought they would last at least a few days. Maybe there is something wrong with this tree. The species I have is the Magnolia virginiana. Any information on this would be greatly appreciated.

Nice semi-evergreen tree in SE PA (zone 7a { 15 miles nw of Lancaster, 75 miles WNW of Philadelphia, and 75 miles NNE of Baltimore), growing well on the N side of the house with about a six inch mulch before winter.

A great magnolia that is sadly underused in the midwestern U.S. Fully hardy in Chicago, it has no problems with diseases that plague saucer magnolias here. It does benefit from acidic amendments to alkaline soil, as well as from spraying the foliage with a solution of kelp and organic fertilizer a few times the first half of the growing season. As has been mentioned, likes lots of water. Can be grown as a multi-stemmed shrub; pruning just after the main blooming period will keep next year's blooms at eye (and nose!) level. Leaves stay green well into autumn here. They will eventually turn brown but linger on the branches throughout winter. They can be removed by hand on a small-to-medium shrub, taking care not to disturb next spring's buds. For a large specimen in a prominent setting, the brown leaves all winter could be an aesthetic or maintenace concern to some people.

I have 2 of these and do so enjoy each Spring/early Summer when they bloom. The blooms are a light cream color, about 2" in size, with a citrus fragrance. They are short lived, lasting about 2-3 days. They can be precocius bloomers. Mine are only about 5' with a spread of about 4'. They are growing in semi-shade. I do not give supplemental watering, as I've never seen the need.

This tree grows with abandon in my wetland woods. It is lends a tropical look to any garden with it's smooth bark, big shiny leaves that are evergreen except for the spring leaf drop which is quickly replenished with new leaves. The roots are like Maples as they tend to travel all over the top of the ground so may not be for subdivision living. They need to do this in wetlands so it may not be necessary in a normal tilth. They love a lot of water and do there best in your wettest spot. Not for xeriscaping landscapes.

This is one of my favorites because of it's delicate beauty and fragrance.

The leaves have a soft green color and pale ashy wood. It makes pure white fragrant flowers and then redberries burst from an orange seedcomb.

We have this planted right near the most fequently used front entrance to our home, where it's lightly shaded by the house and the porch. Everytime I walk by, I catch a waft of the spicy, sweet perfume, even when it's not in bloom so I'm assuming that the leaves can also give off this fragrance, although it's magnified while in flower.

It's attractive in every season, even when almost bare in winter. It's a mass producer of berries, which I've discovered the mockingbirds are very fond of. I've hoped to find some sweetbays pop up around the yard because of this but it's not at all invasive, maybe just a seedling or two at the base of the plant.

Sweetbay seems to be insect and desease resistant, although I know that some lepidoptera species may use this as a host plant.

I have alot of these trees in the woods behind my house. They are mostly evergreen here in zone8b. They make a nice screen planted along a property line. I have seen them growing in full sun but most of mine are growing in light shade under tall pines. I very seldom see them flower though.

I found this growing as a native on my property. The silver backs and brighter green of the leaves make it a nice addition as an understory tree among oaks and pines. Here it's semi-evergreen, losing it's leaves in the late winter/early spring. This species doesn't seem to produce as much of a mess as Magnolia grandiflora.

In Florida, these trees often grow in an old pond which has filled in. The trees in the center grow taller, reaching for the sun, giving the area of trees a rounded shape known as a bay "head." It is often difficult to see the flowers, but the leaf backs are covered with white hairs. When the wind blows, they flip up and are very attractive. Some people call them "silver or white bay."

Sweetbay Magnolia is a beautiful native tree, mostly found in swamps and seepage slopes in its natural habitats. Unfortunately, it is one of the trees that suffered the most in the hurricanes of 2004 in Florida. It seemed to be snapped off and have large limbs broken off much more frequently than any other native tree species.

Sweetbay magnolia is a deciduous or evergreen tree to 30m tall, native to the southeastern United States. Whether it is deciduous or evergreen depends on climate; it is evergreen in areas with milder winters in the south of its range, and deciduous further north.

The seeds are black but covered by a thinly fleshy red coat, which is attractive to some fruit-eating birds;

Grown for its large, conspicuous, and scented flowers.

This tall lanky member of the Magnolia family is often overlooked for its showier cousins. It is deciduous in the colder zones; semi-evergreen in warmer climates. It occurs naturally in bogs and swamps, and requires constantly moist soil.

Used sparingly, it can provide an interesting backdrop to other plants.