Friendly Native of the Month

JANUARY 2016 NC NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY REEDY CREEK NATURE PRESERVE

Magnolia virginiana Photos by Will Stuart virginiana Sweetbay Magnolia

Garden Aristocrat Sweetbay Magnolia also provides Occasional pruning of the oldest nesting sites, shelter and food for As William Cullina says, stems can maintain an open and and mammals. If you want to shapely form where the beautiful “ evolved around 25 blossoms are within view. It million years B.B. (before bees)” and the petals are designed to withstand would also look nice as a patio “Magnolias are the masterpieces of container plant. the feeding of their pollinators—the native …9 species are native to beetle. North America. Magnolia flowers first Typically found in moist appear in the fossil record during swampy areas, it is an excellent Fragrant and Beautiful choice for those sunny lower Sweetbay Magnolia has many Cretaceous period (135-70 million years ago)…making the bloom in your garden areas of the garden where water reasons to be both bird friendly and collects during rainy seasons or people friendly—the beautiful and an aromatic link to prehistoric times.” Gil Nelson - in a rain garden. However, it sweet smelling magnolia blossoms Best Native for Southern can also survive average soil are simply compelling. And, the Gardens with part shade. Size for a dark green leaves which are silvery mature can reach 50 feet on the underside, are semi- tall and a multi-trunked providing winter interest enjoy tiger swallowtail butterflies specimen can spread to 20 feet and screening. wide. A variety of birds enjoy the red include Sweetbay Magnolia in your garden as their larval plant. Companion plants include Inkberry berries found in the cones Holly, Swamp Azalea, Titi, Virginia including yellow-bellied sapsucker, Landscape Uses Sweetspire, High Bush Blueberry, red-eyed vireo, red-cockaded Sweetbay Magnolia is often used as and Red Maple. woodpecker, towhee and eastern a large shrub, and can be used to Bird Friendly Native Plant of the Month is a joint form a screen or as a specimen tree. effort of the NC Native Plant Society and kingbird. Audubon North Carolina.