Magnolia virginiana, Sweetbay magnolia is a slender tree or shrub with pale grey bark, 12-20 ft. tall, occasionally growing to 50 ft. in the southern part of its range. It is easily grown in acidic, medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, rich, organic soils, but, unlike most other magnolias, tolerates wet, boggy soils. Fragrant, 9-12 petaled, creamy white, waxy flowers (3-6" diameter) which appear in mid-spring and sometimes continue sporadically throughout the summer. Larval host for the sweetbay silkmoth.
 
Throughout the Coastal Plain and into the eastern Piedmont. Click to see its range in North Carolina
 
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