Do Sweetbay Trees Grow Fast?
Most widely found growing in the moist woodlands across the coastal plain of the American Southeast, the sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) also naturally inhabits the forests farther north. Creamy white, lemon-fragrant flowers grace branch tips in May and June, and are accentuated by the green and silvery-green leaf undersides on the branches. The size and growth rate of a sweetbay varies by climate and the soil conditions in which it grows. It can grow fast if moisture and nutrients are plentiful. Sweetbay grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5b through 9. Does this Spark an idea?
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Size
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In the milder winter areas of the southern United States, in USDA zones 7 through 11, sweetbay magnolia matures up to 60 feet tall and 20 feet wide. Farther north, the tree grows more as a twiggy large shrub. The cold winters in zones 5b and 6 kill back branches to the roots, resulting in long, upright shoots resprouting each spring. In northern areas, expect the sweetbay to grow no larger than 10 to 20 feet tall and equally wide as a multistemmed, rounded shrub.
Growth Rate
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When a young seedling, a sweetbay magnolia can add 12 to 24 inches of new growth in the first year after germination. Growth of 12 to 20 inches is common on healthy trees as long as the soil is fertile and evenly moist. On established trees that are killed back by extreme winter cold or are toppled by a windstorm, the regrowth from the roots is tremendous. Depending on the mass of roots, the resulting shoots can add 30 inches of height or more.
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Ideal Growing Conditions
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For the fastest and lushest growth of leaves, flowers and branches on a sweetbay magnolia, plant it in an acidic soil. Regardless of soil type, lots of organic matter improves soil fertility and retention of moisture. Alkaline and sandy soils lacking organic matter fail to provide ample nutrients for the best growth of the tree, often seen as yellowish leaves and little new growth. Place a 3-inch mulch layer over the root zone of the sweetbay, preferably an organic material such as pine bark that maintains an acidic soil pH as it decomposes. Dry soils decrease growth rates.
Soil Moisture
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Sweetbay magnolia responds well to irrigation, with more leafy growth and branching. In nature, the best growth occurs on streambanks on well-drained soil. The soil is moist, but adequate water is not too far away for the roots to take advantage of. Tolerant of mucky soils, sweetbay should not be planted where more than 6 inches of water floods the site for more than five months. An evenly moist soil, with lots of water from mid-spring to early fall, encourages the fastest growth.
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