Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia

40 Years of Growing Gardens and Gardeners

colorful fall leaves of rhus aromatica
Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Lo’ (Fragrant Sumac) Photo © Mary Free
You are here: Home / Plants / Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic / Trees / Magnolia virginiana (Sweetbay or Swamp Magnolia)

Magnolia virginiana (Sweetbay or Swamp Magnolia)

Magnolia virginiana new leaf growth and old fruit. Photo © Mary Free, 2019-04-17, Simpson Gardens, Alexandria, VA.
Magnolia virginiana flower bud and leaves. Photo © Mary Free, 2019-05-08, Simpson Gardens, Alexandria, VA.
Magnolia virginiana flower. Photo by Christa Watters, 2012-06-14, Simpson Gardens, Alexandria, VA.
Magnolia virginiana flower with fallen stamens. Photo © Mary Free, 2019-05-08, Simpson Gardens, Alexandria, VA.
Magnolia virginiana spent flower and developing fruit. Photo © Mary Free, 2019-05-08, Simpson Gardens, Alexandria, VA.
Aggregated follicles of Magnolia virginiana
Arils of Magnolia virginiana (sweetbay magnolia)
Magnolia virginiana in October landscape.
Close-up of bark on Magnolia virginiana. Photo © 2017 Elaine Mills

Note: Click on images to see enlarged photos, captions, and photo attributions.
On a mobile phone, click on the information symbol (circle with a letter ℹ︎ symbol).

Magnolia virginiana Sweetbay or Swamp Magnolia Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic Lovely, lemon-scented, cup-shaped flowers appear mid-spring and bloom intermittently throughout summer, followed by showy, cone-like fruit. This elegant tree appears in two forms: often multi-trunked and deciduous north of North Carolina and single-trunked and evergreen southward. It is native to lowlands and freshwater swamps along the Mid-Atlantic* and Gulf coasts. Tree Flower, Fruit with Seeds, Early Fall Tree Height: 12–30 feet Spread: 12–30 feet Bloom Color: White to cream Characteristics Deciduous to evergreen w/ spreading, rounded crown Alternate, pinnate, lanceolate, smooth-margined leaves glabrous, green above and silvery below Very fragrant, solitary, 2–3” flowers w/ 9–12 petals and up to 102 stamens & 50 pistils May–June Styles persist as short beaks on pinkish cone- like fruits (etaerios of follicles) that dehisce in summer to reveal bright red aril-covered seeds Bark smooth, gray, and lightly scented Attributes Tolerates clay soil, boggy soil, shade, occasional flooding, air pollution, and some salt No serious pests or diseases Deer severely damage seldom in northern part of range, more frequently in south and west Attracts birds and other wildlife species; larval host for the Eastern Tiger and Spicebush Swallowtail butterflies and for the Promethea and Sweetbay silkmoths Growing and Maintenance Tips Excellent Replacement for Soil Requirements: Rich, acidic Acer palmatum - Japanese Maple Light Requirements: Sun, Partial Shade Koelreuteria paniculata - Golden Raintree Water Requirements: Moist, Wet Paulownia tomentosa - Princess Tree Use as specimen, patio plant or in shrub borders, rain gardens (larger than 150 sq ft), or wet areas Pyrus calleryana - Callery (‘Bradford’) Pear *It is native to DC. It is common in the Coastal Plains of DE and VA. It is infrequent to rare in the VA Piedmont but is native to NoVA except to Loudoun County. It is rare in PA. Hardiness: USDA Zones 5–10 developed by Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, serving Arlington and Alexandria Images by Christa Watters, Simpson Gardens and by Elaine Mills (fruit), private garden, Arlington, Virginia

Tried and True Native Plant Selections 
for the Mid-Atlantic

Print Version (Legal Size):
Magnolia virginiana (Sweetbay or Swamp Magnolia)

Lovely, lemon-scented, cup-shaped flowers appear mid-spring and bloom intermittently throughout summer, followed by showy, cone-like fruit. This elegant tree appears in two forms: often multi-trunked and deciduous north of North Carolina and single-trunked and evergreen southward. It is native to lowlands and freshwater swamps along the Mid-Atlantic* and Gulf coasts.

*It is native to DC. It is common in the Coastal Plains of DE and VA. It is infrequent to rare in the VA Piedmont but is native to NoVA except to Loudoun County. It is rare in PA. 

Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants: 
Tried and True Native Plant Fact Sheets