Sweet Bay Magnolia Trees

Growth Habit

• With a wide natural growing range, from Massachusetts to Texas, the sweet bay magnolia survives in a broad geography of different climate, especially pertaining to winter cold. In the milder winter areas of the American Southeast, sweet bay magnolia becomes a tall tree measuring 40 to 60 feet tall and 25 feet wide. Farther north, the colder winters kills back branches, and in some cases, the entire plant to the ground each winter. New branches rejuvenate each spring and creates a shrubbier plant that ranges from 6 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. Plants may grow with a large, single trunk or multiple smaller trunks.

Features

• Also dependent on winter temperatures and duration of cold, sweet bay magnolias retain their long leaves at differing levels. In the mild-wintered South, the leaves remain evergreen, but in colder regions the tree or shrub is deciduous. The leaves are long ovals with a light green color, but with a bluish silver underside. In wind, a sweet bay magnolia's leafy canopy flutters and glistens with these contrasting leaf colors. The creamy white flowers occur anytime from March to July -- the farther south the earlier the flowering season. Each blossom occurs singly on a branch tip. Each 2- to 3-inch-wide blossom is somewhat nestled and obscured by the leaves. Smelling of lemon, wind and insects pollinate the bloom that fades to an ecru-yellow. A conelike, brown follicle pod later forms and displays orange-red seeds.

Growing Conditions

• A sweet bay magnolia grows successfully in sandy, loam or clay soils that are acidic to neutral in pH. Moist, well-drained soils enriched with lots of organic matter promote the lushest growth. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, but more sunlight encourages more uniform branching and more flowers as long as the soil remains moist and fertile. It grows well in nearly boggy, wet soil conditions as well as average garden soils. Use it in landscapes in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5b through 9, or in Sunset climate zones 4 through 9 and 14 through 24 in the western United States.

Cultural Issues

• Deer and cattle may eat branches and leaves on sweet bay magnolias, which can be a disappointing occurrence in garden settings. Allowing seeds to form on branches provides food for a wide array of songbirds, wild quail and turkey, as well as squirrels and other small rodents. An acidic soil is important to maintaining green leaves and good plant growth. Soils with a pH greater than 7.0 produce yellow-green leaves and growth rates are stunted. In hot summer areas, it's important to provide some afternoon shade to keep plants looking their best, especially if the soil is not constantly moist.