Magnolia virginiana
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Sweet-bay Magnolia
Magnoliaceae
Plant Specifics
| Form: | Tree | |
| Size: | 20-30 (60) ft by 10-15 ft. Forms clones when growing in wet areas. | |
| Life Span: | Long-lived perennial | |
| Flower Color: | White | |
| Fruit Color: | Red,brown | |
| Phenology: | Evergreen. Blooms mid- to late spring. Fruits ripen late summer-fall. | |
| Noted for: | Showy flowers, Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance |
Landscaping
| Recommended Uses: | Specimen plant in moist areas. Wetland tree. In wetlands, it forms clones making it useful for wetland restoration. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Propagation: | Seed. Cuttings. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Availability: | Native nurseries, FNPS plant sales, Quality nurseries, Seed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light: | Part Shade, Shade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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| (Stays Wet ----- to ----- Somewhat moist, no flooding) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: | Stays Wet ----- to ----- Somewhat moist, no flooding | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Water Flooding Tolerance: | Tolerant of inundation with brackish water | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance: | Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil or other substrate: | Organic material (muck), Sand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil pH: | Acidic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ecology
| Wildlife: |
Seeds are eaten by woodpeckers, kingbirds, red-eyed vireos, mockingbirds, robins, thrushes, crows, cardinals, squirrels, mice among others. Deer browse leaves and twigs. Fruits eaten by gray squirrels, mice, turkey and quail as well as a variety of smaller birds including vireos, towhees, blue jays, woodpeckers, kingbirds, mockingbirds, robins, thrushes, crows, cardinals, squirrels, mice among others | |
| Insects: | Larval host plant for Eastern tiger swallowtail (Pterourous glaucus). Larval host for the southern tiger swallowtail. This butterfly is restricted to Magnolia virginiana. Beetles are the primary pollinators. The flowers have a hardened carpel to avoid damage by their gnawing mandibles as the feed. The beetles are after the protein-rich pollen. Because the beetles are interesting in pollen and pollen alone, the flowers mature in a way that ensures cross pollination. The male parts mature first and offer said pollen. The female parts of the flower are second to mature. They produce no reward for the beetles but are instead believed to mimic the male parts, ensuring that the beetles will spend some time exploring and thus effectively pollinating the flowers (In Defense of Plants blog). | |
| Native Habitats: | Bay swamp, forested seep slopes, floodplains of small streams, low flatwoods where fire has been excluded. |
Distribution and Planting Zones
Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones
Suitable to grow in:
10A 10B 8A 8B 9A 9B
USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures
Comments
| General Comments: | The silvery undersides of the leaves are striking. Erroneously listed as a host for palamedes swallowtail butterflies. Palamedes swallowtails only feed on native members of the genus Persea. |