Magnolia virginiana
- Grow your own Sweetbay Magnolia, popular for its manageable size, shimmering foliage, and fragrant white flower
- Bulk tree deal for landscaping projects, windbreaks, restoration and reforestation work, and other large-scale plantings
- Seed-grown on California's Redwood Coast
- Transplanting and care instructions included
Nursery Note: These trees, while entirely healthy and vibrant, represent stock that didn't quite meet our standards for "Grade A" material — usually meaning that they lack a true leader, have an odd form, or were munched by a deer at some point. If you're patient enough to grow these out of this awkward phase (they're just babies, after all!) or are perhaps looking to build a bonsai collection, this could be the perfect deal for you.
 |
Moisture High |
 |
Cold Hardiness -15°F |
 |
Light Full Sun / Partial Shade |
 |
Size 20 – 40' tall / 10 – 20' spread |
 |
Lifespan 130 yrs |
 |
Growth Rate Moderate |
 |
Drought Tolerance Low |
 |
Wind Resistance Low |
About Sweetbay Magnolia
The most distinctive feature of Sweetbay Magnolia is without question its blooms — showy, creamy white, lemon-rose scented flowers. These cup-shaped blooms can measure anywhere from 2 to 4 inches across, appearing from May to July. In autumn, flowers give way to attractive seed cones, which are cob-like in shape and dripping with deep red seeds — a feast for the birds. Leaves are a sparkling green above and a ghostly pale beneath, growing up to 8 inches long and 3 inches wide. When rustled by the wind, the two-tone quality of the leaves’ coloring can create a beautiful shimmering effect. Bark is thin, smooth, gray, and aromatic.
Sometimes called Swampbay, Sweetbay Magnolia typically grows in wet acidic soils near ponds, streams, rivers, and coastal swamps. Its soft wood and fleshy roots happen to be a favorite of beavers, giving rise to another of its common names: Beaver Tree. In colonial times, it was even used to bait beaver traps.
Sweetbay Magnolia is an excellent ornamental tree for small residential properties, and is especially lovely near water — as long as there aren’t too many beavers around!
About Jonsteen's Seedlings
All of our trees are seed-grown at our nursery on California's Redwood Coast, which is inspected monthly and licensed by the California Department of Agriculture. Trees can provide a natural barrier against high winds, temperatures, noise pollution and soil erosion, all while benefiting local air quality, wildlife and property values — a Jonsteen seedling will only grow in value and beauty!
About Jonsteen's Nursery Lots
Periodically, we offer great deals on bulk lots of select species to make room in the nursery for our new crop. It's a great way for us to keep things moving while rewarding our most prolific tree-planting customers. Are you thinking about a larger-scale landscaping, windbreak, restoration or reforestation project? This deal was made for you!
Seedling Size Chart: Medium
Due to the dynamic nature of actively growing trees, as well as the tremendous variation between species’ growth rates, we rely on the cubic volume of a seedling’s root mass to determine its “size” (Small / Medium / Large / XL). Within each size there is minor variance — the dimensions provided here represent the category minimum. If exact measurements are essential, please contact us about current stock.
