Silver Mist Sweetbay Magnolia
Magnolia virginiana ‘Silver Mist’
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-10b Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Evergreen Flowering Large Shrub or Tree
Height at Maturity: 15-25′ in North, 35-50′ in South
Width at Maturity: 10-15′ in North, 20-35′ feet in South
Spacing: 6-8′ in North and 10-15′ in South for privacy screens; 20′ in North or 40 feet in South for space between trees
Growth Habit / Form: Upright
Flower Color: Creamy White
Flower Size: 3″ diameter
Flowering Period: Mid Spring to Mid Fall!
Flower Type: Single, Cup-shaped
Fragrant Flowers: Yes – Sweet lemony fragrance!
Foliage Color: Dark Green, Silvery undersides
Fragrant Foliage: No
Sun Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, All Day Filtered Sun, Morning Shade with Evening Sun
Water Needs: Average, Low when established
Soil Type: Clay (Amend heavy clay), Loam, Sand (amend quick draining soils for moisture retention), Silt
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist
Soil pH: 5.5 – 7 (Acid to Neutral)
Maintenance / Care: Low
Attracts: Visual Attention, Butterflies, Birds
Resistances: Deer, Disease, Drought (when established, Heat, Humidity, Insect
Description
An outstanding cultivar of our North American native Sweetbay Magnolia, ‘Silver Mist’ gets its name from its silver-backed leaves that shimmer in the wind on a breezy day. But the spectacular qualities don’t stop there. This beauty produces heavenly fragrant, lemony sweet fragrant white flowers from mid spring all the way to mid fall. Silver Mist has much fuller foliage than does the species with an absolutely distinct conical form making it a fine selection for evergreen privacy screen plantings. Small cone-like fruits with showy bright red seeds are displayed in fall. The large and glossy leaves provide a lush, tropical effect in the landscape. Sweet Bay Magnolia has the ability to maintain a straight central trunk with age, which allows it to be grown full to the ground or lower branches can be removed to form a very attractive tree with a visible trunk. Will tolerate somewhat boggy soils.
Wildlife Value
The Silver Mist Sweetbay Magnolia is host to Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Buttefly and the fruits and dense canopy attract birds.
Note: In the northern part of its growing range (USDA Zones 5-7) the Silver Mist Sweetbay Magnolia typically grows as a 15 to 25 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. In the South (USDA Zones 8-10) it grows 35 to 60 feet tall and 20 to 35 feet wide.
Also Note: Sweetbay Magnolia is evergreen in the South (USDA Zones 7-10) and semi deciduous to deciduous in the North (USDA Zones 5-6)
Landscape & Garden Uses
The Silver Mist Sweetbay Magnolia is ideal for use as a magnificent specimen, in groupings, or in straight or staggered rows in privacy screen plantings. It is also nice to frame the corners of tall homes and other buildings. A fine addition to fragrance gardens, North American Native gardens, white theme gardens, and wildlife gardens.
Suggested Spacing: 8′ in North and 10-12′ in South for privacy screens; 20′ in North or 40′ apart in South for space between trees
Growing Preferences
The Silver Sweetbay Magnolia is very easy to grow in most any moist but well-drained to even boggy soil of average or better fertility, even clay-based soils, and full sun or part shade. No pruning necessary.
Note: Find helpful advice from our experts under the Planting & Care tab above on desktop monitors or below on mobile phones.
Plant Long & Prosper!
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