Magnolia virginiana is an upright large shrub or small multi-trunked tree that has excellent semi-evergreen foliage, fragrant creamy late spring to early summer flowers, good brown-red autumn fruits, and layered graceful branching. Sweetbay Magnolia has four-season ornamental appeal, with no danger of freezing damage to flowers.
Alternate common name: Swamp Magnolia
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F E A T U R E S |
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Form
-large shrub or small tree
-to 20' tall x 15' wide
-upright oval, becoming rounded with old age
-multi-trunked with layered sympodial branching
-abundantly available in B&B form
-slow to medium rate |
Foliage
-dark green above and glaucous silvery-green beneath (contrasting ornamental bicolor effect when the breeze blows)
-semi-evergreen to deciduous
-alternate
-elliptical to 6" long
-lustrous and waxy above
-green, slowly abscising in winter |
Flowers
-cream
-May-June and sporadically later
-sparse but noticeable and showy against a solid green background
-extremely fragrant when sniffed close-up |
Fruit
-green solid aggregate fruit turning into a splitting fruit in Sept., exposing many bright red seeds |
Twig
-green, turning to gray in second year
-raised leaf scars
-terminal buds much larger than laterals, both of which are lightly pubescent |
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Trunk
-light gray and smooth |
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C U L T
U R E
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Culture
-full sun to full shade
-needs acid soil for best performance
-tolerant of wet sites |
Hardiness
-zone 5 to 9
Origin
-native to eastern and gulf coasts of U.S.
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U S A G E |
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Assets
-good four-season tree (outstanding summer and autumn foliage, spring and summer flowers, autumn fruits, and winter sympodial branching)
-wet site and shade tolerant
-no disappointment in flowers due to chilling damage like other Magnolias
-bicolor foliage in the breeze
Liabilities
-abscised leaves when wet can be slippery when walked upon
-slow growth |
Function
-foundation or specimen shrub or tree
Texture
-medium in foliage and bold when bare
-open density in foliage and when bare |
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S E L
E C T I 0 N S |
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Varieties
and Cultivars
- Search
OSU PlantFacts for additional plants in this species
Alternates
-small trees or large shrubs for multi-season interest (Acer ginnala, Amelanchier species, Cornus kousa, Parrotia persica, Viburnum cassinoides, etc.)
-trees that flower in late spring or early summer (Liriodendron tulipifera,
Koelreuteria paniculata, Magnolia grandiflora, Stewartia species, etc.) |