The Sweetbay Magnolia is a little different from the more common saucer and star magnolias that are easy to spot blooming in Connecticut in early April. Sweetbay Magnolia blooms in June and the lemon-scent produced by the creamy white flowers can be wonderful carried on an early summer breeze. Bright scarlet-red seeded fruit ripens in late summer attracting many birds. Another characteristic that makes Sweetbay Magnolia stand out is its semi-evergreen leaves that remain on the trees into early winter, revealing their silvery undersides as they blow in the wind. In the northern part of its cultivated growing range, it typically grows as either a 15-20' tall tree with a spreading, rounded crown.

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USDA Zones 5-10