Sweetbay Magnolia
Magnolia virginiana
Plant Family: Magnoliaceae
Leaves: Alternate, simple, narrowly elliptic, appearing whorled at the twig ends, to 15 cm, somewhat leathery, green above, whitish below. The crushed leaves have a spicy scent.
Bark: Light gray, smooth, darker and rougher on older trees.
Flowers: The familiar magnolia flower, white, large, fragrant and showy, to 8 cm in diameter, the fragrance is lemony (a flower bud is shown); spring to early summer.
Fruits: Aggregate, egg-shaped, green, ripening to dark red, to 8 cm, the fruits enclose black seeds with a bright red fleshy covering that are eaten by birds; late summer into winter.
Habitat: Swamps, wet hammocks, and other moist situations.
Growth Form: Small to medium-sized tree.
Key Features: The narrowly elliptic leaves are whitish beneath. That feature, combined with the flowers or fruits, if present, should separate it from other trees with alternate leaves.
Comments: Sweetbay Magnolia ranges north to the Delmarva Peninsula and west across the Deep South to east Texas.
