Sweet Bay Magnolia

Sweetbay magnolia for sale here is Magnolia virginiana, the small native magnolia with creamy white, fragrant flowers. We ship sweet bay magnolia trees bare-root in 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4 foot sizes, in packs of 25, 50, 100 and 500, for yards, rain gardens, wet sites and wholesale landscape buyers.

Sweetbay Magnolia Size, Zones and Sun

Plant sweetbay where the ground stays wet and it settles right in. It's a zone 5 to 9 tree that takes sun or part shade and wants acidic soil with plenty of organic matter. Height runs 10 to 35 feet with a similar spread, so it suits a yard better than a southern magnolia ever could.

Sweetbay Magnolia Flowers and Leaves

The flowers are creamy white, 2 to 3 inches across with 9 to 12 petals, and they open in mid-spring and keep appearing off and on through summer. They open in the afternoon and close at night. In mild southern winters the tree keeps its leaves. Farther north it drops them.

Sweetbay Magnolia and Wildlife

Spicebush and eastern tiger swallowtail caterpillars chew the leaves, which is the price of having those butterflies around. Birds and small mammals take the seeds in fall, and deer nibble twigs over winter. Want more small trees that flower? Our summer flowering trees for small yards has more ideas.

Where to Plant Sweetbay Magnolia

Rain gardens, pond edges, low corners and damp borders all suit it. It also does well beside a patio or window where you can catch the scent. Space trees at least 15 feet apart. Our magnolia tree requirements page covers soil and site basics for the whole group.

Planting Sweetbay Magnolia Bare-root

Soak the roots for an hour and dig a hole wider than the root mass. Set the tree at the depth it grew, firm the soil and water well. Mulch to hold moisture, and water weekly through the first summer if the site dries out.

Buying Sweetbay Magnolia in Bulk

A pack of 25 set 15 feet apart lines about 360 feet of boundary or wet edge. The 1-2 foot size is easiest to plant at scale, while the 3-4 foot trees give you a head start on height.

Good to Know About Sweetbay Magnolia

Chlorosis can show up in alkaline soil, so the acidic side is safer. Scales, weevils and leaf spots turn up now and then but rarely cause trouble. In zone 5 and the colder part of zone 6, winter can damage the tree, so give it a spot out of the wind.

Sweetbay Magnolia for Wet Spots

Sweetbay grows wild in swamps and wet woods, which means a low corner that stays damp can hold a tree instead of sitting empty. Mulch keeps the ground moist and cuts weeds. In its first summer, water if the site dries out.

Sweetbay Magnolia Tree Sizes, Packs and Shipping

Sweetbay magnolia trees ship bare-root in November, in 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4 foot sizes and packs of 25, 50, 100 and 500. Volume pricing available. Browse more wholesale trees for sale.