FNPS Plant Database

Gordonia lasianthus

loblolly-bay
  • Photo by: Dick Diener
  • Photo by: John Bradford, Martin County Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: John Bradford, Martin County Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

loblolly-bay

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Gordonia lasianthus

Family:

Theaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

40-65(80) ft, conical canopy narrower than the tree is tall.  Trunk up to 1.5 ft dbh.

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

Phenology:

Evergreen. Blooms spring-summer. Often has some red leaves in fall. May live 100 yrs (Nelson 2003).

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Makes a good specimen tree or a cluster of in wet areas along margins of lakes and ponds.



This tree is columnar in form and can make a formal-looking plant near an entryway.

Considerations:

Sensitive to drying. Difficult to grow unless its moisture requirements are met.

Availability:

Native Nurseries, Specialty Provider

Propagation:

Seed and cuttings.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Stays wet -to- Somewhat moist, no flooding

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Organic

Soil pH:

acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Hummingbirds

Flowers attract a variety of insects including bees and flies. 

Attracts hummingbirds.

Native Habitats:

Moist-wet sites. Seepage swamps, bay swamps, edges of cypress domes, low flatwoods. This species is likely restricted to wetland edges both by its need for high soil moisture and due to lack of tolerance of fire.

Natural Range in Florida:

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Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Citations:

Burns, Russell M., and Barbara H. Honkala [Technical coordinators]. (1990). Silvics of North America: Volume 2. Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654. ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1548 ). Accessed 2025.


Gann, G.D., C.J. Abbott, C.G. Stocking, K.N. Hines, and collaborators. (2001+), Natives For Your Neighborhood. ( https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Gordlasi ). Accessed 2026. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, Florida.


Gilman, Edward F. and Dennis G. Watson. (1993). Fact Sheet: Gordonia lasianthus , Loblolly-Bay. ( https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/tree_fact_sheets/gorlasa.pdf ). Accessed 2026. USFWS as distributed by the Department of Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida, Gainesville.


Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


North Carolina State Extension. (Undated). North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. ( https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/ ). North Carolina Agricultural & Technical University, Greensboro, NC.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Watkins, John and Thomas Sheehan. (1975). Florida Landscape Plants, Native and Exotic. University Presses of Florida, Gainesville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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