sweetbay magnolia Magnoliaceae Magnolia
virginiana L. symbol: MAVI2
|Leaf: Alternate, simple, narrow elliptical, 3 to 5 inches long, entire margin, evergreen to semi-evergreen in the south, shiny dark green above, silvery white below.
Flower: Species is monoecious; creamy white, 2 to 3 inches in diameter, 9 to 12 petals, mild lemony scent, appearing in late spring.
Fruit: Cone-like cluster of follicles, 2 inches long, pink to red ripening to reddish brown; bright scarlet-red seeds, ripen in late summer.
Twig: Moderate, pale green, pubescent, stipule scars circle twig; buds are long (1/2 inch) with fuzzy, silvery-gray scales that curl at their ends.
Bark: Smooth, reddish brown to gray, often mottled.
Form: A small tree typically not over 20 feet in height and multi-stemmed, grows taller in the south.
Looks like: loblolly bay
- common sweetleaf
| Additional Range Information:
Magnolia virginiana is native to North America.
may be expanded by planting.
See states reporting sweetbay magnolia.
| External Links:
Silvics of North America
USDA Plants Database
|© Copyright 2015, Virginia Tech|
Dept. of Forest Resources
and Environmental Conservation,
all rights reserved.
Photos and text by: John Seiler,
Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera,
and John Peterson