Sweet Bay Magnolia Shrub

Do you need an elegant shrub with an airy, open style? The charming native Sweet Bay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) has just what you are looking for!

This compact shrub is a fast-growing showpiece with enormous ornamental appeal. Featuring a long blooming period, the creamy-white flowers have a hint of lemon that perfumes your yard for weeks, and reappear sporadically throughout the early summer!

Magnolia flowers are infused with a fresh, citrusy scent that is never heavy or cloying. All parts of the Sweet Bay Magnolia are fragrant. The roots, branches, leaves and twigs smell sweet and spicy, a bit like vanilla! Pollinators will drop by for a visit, so don’t be surprised to see many more arrive when you include these in your landscape.

In the South, you'll know this as Swamp or Sweetbay Magnolia where they’re evergreen in mild winters. In colder climates, these are deciduous or even semi-evergreen!

You'll be surprised by the captivating sight created by the slightest breeze, the undersides have a silvery, waxy, glaucous coating that truly shimmers in the sunlight! Nearly 5 inches long, symmetrical and dark green on the top with a lovely glossy surface.

The smooth bark has a metallic gray overcast, adding tremendous visual appeal. Fall brings showy, red seeded fruit, but you'll need to look quick because songbirds love the seeds!

How to Use Sweet Bay Magnolia Shrub In The Landscape

Plant near the corner of your home’s foundation or a garage, providing at least 15 feet of room, so you can easily access your exterior. This will soften your home’s architecture and anchor your front landscaping.

While it can get large, this is not a shrub that will overpower your home's architecture. Rather, it becomes an effective accent! Providing ample shade over patios or terraces effectively blocking the afternoon sun!

With no pests or diseases, they are low-maintenance mass plantings or tall shrub borders! To achieve a solid screen, use several in a hedgerow to screen your home from the road.

Tolerant of periodic flooding, you can plant in a location that gets plenty of water. Create a Rain Garden to help filter captured rainwater. Or, plant along a water feature, creek or pond, even thriving in woodland settings!

#ProPlantTips For Care

This superb native is widely adapted, tolerant of dry, clay or wet soil for extended periods. In its natural setting, this tree grows in coastal wetlands in acidic loam.

For the best results, provide an acid fertilizer like Dr. Earth Acid Lover's Organic and Natural Premium Fertilizer in spring and mid-summer to maintain acidic soil.

While it will grow in partial shade, please know that it flowers best in full sun. Give Magnolia a regular schedule of supplemental water, if rainfall isn't sufficient. This is especially important when the plants are young.

In the colder hardiness zones 5 and 6, or in colder winters anywhere in the United States, the Sweet Bay can lose its leaves, grandly exposing the metallic trunk, providing 4 seasons of interest!

Forming a natural column or vase shape. If you do any pruning, do so after the spring bloom so you don’t miss a moment of those fantastic blooms! You can even trim up the lower branches to reveal the trunks, creating a multi-branched tree!

Disease and deer resistance, this marvelous, ancient shrub is a fabulous choice because of its hardiness and adaptability! Order your own Sweet Bay Magnolia shrub from NatureHills.com today!