Sweetbay Magnolia

Description:

Magnolia virginiana is an evergreen or deciduous tree to 30 m tall, native to the lowlands and swamps of the Atlantic coastal plain of the east-central and south eastern United States. The leaves are alternate, simple (not lobed or pinnate), with entire margins, 6-12 cm long, and 3-5 cm wide. The bark is smooth and gray, with the inner bark mildly scented, the scent reminiscent of the bay laurel spice. The flowers are creamy white, 8-14 cm diameter, with 6-15 petal-like tepals. The flowers carry a very strong vanilla scent that can sometimes be noticed several hundred yards away. The fruit is a fused aggregate of follicles, 3-5 cm long, pinkish-red when mature, with the follicles splitting open to release the 1 cm long seeds. The seeds are black but covered by a thinly fleshy red coat.

Habitat:

This one was growing in a wet area at the edge of a beaver pond at the Silver Bluff Audubon Center near Jackson (Aiken County), SC.

Notes:

Other common names include sweetbay, swampbay, swamp magnolia, whitebay, or beaver tree. It is a member of the magnolia family, Magnoliaceae. The seeds are attractive to some fruit-eating birds; these swallow the seeds, digest the red coating, and disperse the seeds in their droppings.