by Pat Chadwick
With all the care afford to global warming these days , most gardeners try out drought - tolerant plantings for their gardens and that ’s a sound thing . Forthe gardener who has soused orpoor - drainingsoil , finding plants that do n’t beware waterlogged feetmay be a challenge . Sweetbay magnolia is one plant that comes to judgement for such demanding growing conditions .
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Sweetbay magnolia is a smaller , less majestic cousin-german ofMagnolia grandiflora(Southern magnolia ) , that beloved aristocratic icon of the southern United States . One of 125 deciduous and evergreen appendage of the ancientMagnoliaceaegenus , sweetbay magnolia was introduced into cultivation in the recent 1600s and first appeared in European gardens in 1688.Itscommon name , sweetbay , comes from the mellisonant - smell bay - like foliage , while the termmagnoliahonorsFrench phytologist Pierre Magnol ( 1638 - 1715 ) . Other names for this plant include swamp magnolia and laurel magnolia .
Sweetbay magnolia are native to the southeasterly United States where theyarefound grow in acidulous , medium to wet soils , in full sun to part shade . Their range extends northward along the Atlantic seashore to New York . In the more northerly ( USDA Zone 5 ) part of their kitchen range , they incline to appear as open , multi - stemmed shrubs or as small 10- to 20 - foot trees . In the rich southerly part of their reach ( USDA Zone 9 ) , they are more likely to maintain a tree - like substance abuse and can grow to 60 foot or more . In Virginia , they are most commonly base growing barbaric in coastal unmixed country andareless oftentimes found in the Piedmont . Although not native to Albemarle County , sweetbay magnolias have reportedly been find growing wild on a undivided mountain land site innearbyAugusta County . In this area , theytypically arise 20 to 30 feet or more improbable with a exchangeable spread .
DESCRIPTION
GARDEN use AND BENEFITS
Their taste for moist , rich , organic soils andtheirability to tolerate wet , boggy conditions make sweetbay magnolia a good choice for planting near pond , along streams , in waterlogged areas , orinlow spotsthat pull together water . Because they can tolerate occasional flooding , theythriveinrain gardens . Sweetbay magnoliasmake first-class specimen trees in the lawn , as part of a foundation planting , or at the edge of a woodland set up . The tree ’s multi - cauline shrubby form mould well in a mixed shrub border . Itssmallish size also make it a good candidateforplanting near a patio where it can serve permeate light or provide a privacy screen . Usedin grouping , these trees may help todefineareas , such asplaygroundsor parkinglots , or to hide an unsightly view . Recognized as being resistant to wind impairment , sweetbay magnolia is a good choice for use as a wind break .
Despite its orientation for moist soil , sweetbay magnolia is drought tolerant once established . Proof of this lie in the company photoof a thriving specimen growingin a juiceless site south of Charlottesville . With this past summer ’s drought conditions during July and August , it weathered the lack of wet well and parade only mild signs of stress .
In late summer and former fall , the clusters of carmine fruit attract squirrels , small rodent , turkey and quail . The fruit is also democratic with songbirds such as blue jays , northerly waver , towhee , and vireos . The blossoms attract a telephone number of butterfly and moth , include the Eastern Tiger and Zebra Swallowtail butterflies .
CULTIVATION
PROBLEMS
Sweetbay magnolia do not have any serious dirt ball or disease problems . folio spots may now and then appear on the foliage but treatment is not normally necessary . Virginia Cooperative Extension ( VCE ) Publication 450 - 237 includes this works among the problem - free tree that are advocate for Virginia landscape .
This industrial plant often appears on list of plants that deer rarely crop . However , no plant is ever entirely deer proof . So , if you have a cervid job , be aware that they may nibble sweet magnolia leaves and little twigs .
SUMMARY
Sweetbay magnolia is a modest , graciously shaped Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that has a lot to offerthroughout the year . This native decorative bears attractive , lemon - scented bloom in spring and periodically through the summer . Glossy immature leafage hang in on the tree well-nigh all class long . Showy ruby-red cone - corresponding yield leave colour , interest , and solid food for wildlife in fall , and smooth gray bark contribute beautiful people of color and contrastinwinter .
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American Horticulture Society , A - Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants(2008 )
Dirr , Michael , Dirr ’s Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs(2011 )
Mellichamp , Larry , Native Plants of the Southeast(2014 )
VCE Pub . 430 - 026,Trees for Problem Landscape Sites — Wet and Dry Sites , http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430 - 026/430 - 026_pdf.pdf
VCE Pub . 450 -237,Problem - Free Trees for Virginia Landscapes , http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/450/450 - 237 / PPWS-47 - pdf.pdf
Weakley , Alan S. ; Ludwig , J. Christopher ; and Townsend , John E.,Flora of Virginia(2012 )
