Submitted by Betsy Washington, Northern Neck Chapter, Virginia Native Plant Society
Sweetbay magnolia, Magnolia virginiana
The lovely sweetbay magnolia, Magnolia virginiana, goes by many common names, including sweet magnolia, swamp magnolia, swamp bay, laurel, white magnolia and beaver tree. 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 New York. In the deep South, sweetbay magnolias often remain evergreen…
