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Magnolia virginiana ‘Jim Wilson’ Moonglow ™
sweet bay magnolia
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Image © J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. |
Printer-friendly Fact Sheet
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| Outstanding Qualities |
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This small evergreen magnolia shines in the winter with bright green and silver foliage. The leaves hold a bright green color that is cheerful in our gray weather with brilliant silver undersides that sparkle and flash on a breezy day. If the foliage is crushed it releases a pungent bay leaf aroma. In early summer fat buds open revealing a delicate cup of ivory white petals that open a few at a time through the summer lightly perfuming the air with the fragrance of lemon. The small stature makes it an excellent choice for the urban landscape. Easily grown as either a single truck or multiple trunk specimen it adds a natural grace in the garden. The compact scale of the tree make it a good choice for around patios and it combines well with rhododendrons, azaleas and compact shrubs. |
| Culture |
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Moonglow sweet bay magnolia is easy to grow. It flowers best when planted in full sun to partial shade or bright open shade. Preferring a fertile, humus-rich soil and regular summer watering it will fortunately, tolerate heavy clay or sandy soil and short droughty periods. It is one of the few garden trees that can even tolerate waterlogged soils. Garden gently under magnolias, for they have fleshy roots that can easily be damaged. Little pruning is required other than removing dead and broken limbs or rubbing and crossing branches. Pruning is best done while the tree is dormant in winter. Too much pruning can cause suckers that spoil the natural beauty of this plant. |
| Growing Habit |
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This is an excellent evergreen small tree. Moonglow sweetbay magnolia is vigorous in youth, but its rate of growth slows after five to seven years. It gradually develops an overall shape that is rounded to slightly pyramidal, with a slightly open branching structure. This winter outline is attractive and can easily be spoiled by pruning, provide this tree with ample room to grow and fully develop. A ten-year-old plant reaches 15 to 18 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. Mature specimens can reach up to 20 feet tall with time, spreading to about 15 to 18 feet. |
| Hardiness |
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USDA zones 6 to 9 |
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© 2009 Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden
Funded by the Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation
Administered by the Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden