Sweetbay Magnolia | Large Tree Seedling

About Sweetbay Magnolia

A popular ornamental tree on account of its shimmering foliage and fragrant white flowers, Sweetbay Magnolia is a small- to medium-sized tree found along the eastern seaboard from Massachusetts to southern Florida and west to southeastern Texas. In the northern parts of its range, Sweetbay Magnolia usually maxes out at about 20 feet-tall and drops most or all of its leaves in the colder months. In the south, it can grow to be a 60-foot-tall tree, retaining most of its foliage throughout the year.

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!