SCIENTIFIC NAME: Magnolia virginiana

COMMON NAME: Sweetbay Magnolia

GARDEN SIZE: 12 to 30 feet tall by 12 to 30 feet wide

GROWTH RATE: Moderate

USDA ZONE: 5 to 10

EXPOSURE: Full sun to partial shade

WATER & SOIL: Moist to wet, rich acidic soils; tolerates clay, boggy sites, occasional flooding, and some salt; adaptable to air pollution

HABIT (FORM): Tree with spreading, rounded crown; smooth, lightly scented gray bark

FOLIAGE: Semi-evergreen to evergreen depending on the weather; shiny green above, silvery beneath; lanceolate

FLOWERS: Very fragrant 2–3" creamy white cup-shaped blooms (9–12 petals) from mid-spring through summer; followed by green to pink cone-like fruits with bright red arils

PLANT ORIGIN: Eastern North America including Tennessee

WILDLIFE SUPPORT: Host plant for local butterflies and moths (Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, Promethea, and Sweetbay Silkmoths), and food source for pollinators, birds, and small mammals. Supplies shelter and nesting sites.

FERTILIZING: Maintain acidic, organic soils; may fertilize lightly spring with organic compost if desired; mulch to conserve moisture

PRUNING: Minimal; prune to shape or remove damaged branches after the last frost in late winter or early spring

TOXICITY FLAGS: None known

USES: Specimen