The lovely Sweetbay Magnolia, Magnolia virginiana, goes by many common names, including Sweet Magnolia, Swamp Magnolia, Swamp Bay, Laurel, White Magnolia, and Beaver Tree to name just a few. Regardless of the name, it is a spectacular small tree in every season and we are lucky it is a common understory tree along coastal areas of the Northern Neck. Sweetbay Magnolias occur from the Gulf Coast and north up the Atlantic coast to NY. In the deep South, Sweetbay Magnolias often remain evergreen through the winters and may reach 60’ or more in height, but in our area Sweetbays are typically multi-stemmed small trees reaching 15- 30’ in height.
Beginning in May and continuing through June, fragrant creamy white flowers open at the ends of branches, emitting a delicious lemony fragrance. Each cup-shaped flower is about 3” across, with 9 to 12 tepals (the sepals and petals are indistinguishable) with a velvety texture.