Sweet bay (Magnolia virginiana)
Description
Sweet bay is a semi-evergreen tree with fragrant leaves, twigs, and flowers. In the southeast, it often grows as a tree with a rounded crown. It has bluish to greenish oblong leaves in an alternate arrangement and whitish flowers with a lemony smell from spring to summer. In the fall, Sweet bay produces aggregate fruit that are bright red to brown.
Gardening Tips
| Care | Known Problems | How to Harvest | Mature Size | Notes/Uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet bay must be planted in moist, well-drained acidic soil in full sun to partial shade | In alkaline soil, the leaves turn yellow | n/a | Can grow as a tree up to 100 feet tall and 20 feet in width | Sweet bay is a larval host for butterflies and provides food for white-tailed deer, birds and small mammals; It is used in parks and landscaping as a tree or as a shrub |