‘Moon Glow’ Sweet Bay Magnolia

Magnolia virginiana ‘Jim Wilson’

Other Names: ‘Jim Wilson’ Sweet Bay Magnolia, Jim Wilson Sweetbay

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-10b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Evergreen to Semi Evergreen Flowering Tree

Height at Maturity: 35′

Width at Maturity: 20′

Spacing: 12-15′ for privacy screens; 22′ or more for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Upright, Oval

Flower Color: Creamy-White

Flower Size: 3″ diameter

Flowering Period: Late Spring through Summer

Flower Type: Single, Cup-shaped

Fragrant Flowers: Yes – Sweet lemony fragrance!

Foliage Color: Rich Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Sun Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, All Day Filtered Sun, Morning Shade with Evening Sun

Water Needs: Average, Low when established

Soil Type: Clay (amended), Loam, Sand (amended), Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist

Soil pH: 5.5 – 7 (Acid to Neutral)

Maintenance / Care: Low

Attracts: Visual Attention, Birds

Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Drought, Heat, Humidity, Insect

Description

The Moonglow Sweetbay Magnolia, Magnolia virginiana ‘Jim Wilson’, is a magnificent, easy to grow North American native tree that produces sweetly fragrant flowers that look like creamy-white tulips perched upright at the ends of branches before opening to 8-petaled flowers typical of sweetbay magnolias. This selection of Sweetbay Magnolia has attractive large, elongated, glossy, rich-green leaves. It has the ability to maintain a straight central trunk, which allows it to be grown full to the ground or lower branches can be removed to form a very attractive tree with a visible trunk. Cold hardiness is better than other Sweetbay Magnolia trees. This amazing tree grows in full sun or part sun and tolerates wet or average soil conditions. Hardy in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5a-10b, evergreen in USDA Zones 7a-10b.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing up to 35 feet tall with a spread of up to 20 feet, the Moonglow Sweetbay Magnolia is ideal for use as a single focal point specimen, in groupings, or in straight or staggered rows in privacy screen plantings. Can also be useful to frame the corners of tall homes and other buildings. A fine addition to fragrance gardens, North American Native gardens, and wildlife gardens.

Suggested Spacing: 12 to 15 feet apart for privacy screens; 22 or more feet apart for space between plants

Growing Preferences

The Moonglow Sweet Bay Magnolia is very easy to grow in a most any soil including wet or boggy soils. It grows well in full sun, part shade, or mostly shade.

Note: Find helpful advice from our experts under the Planting & Care tab above on desktop monitors or below on mobile phones.

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Doing well. Can’t wait to see it bloom. Beautiful plant received.———————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I wanted a magnolia that stayed evergreen in colder temps. I sent a note to say that I wanted a multi-trunk version vs a single-trunk and I got exactly what I asked for. Right now it’s about 4 ft tall and doing really well in a sunny morning/late afternoon shade part of the yard that has soil that stays moist (not soggy) due to neighbor’s water runoff. Curious to see how this handles winter and will update then.——————————————-We are so glad you are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂

Sent this to a relative. Large healthy plant arrived and she’s delighted!————————————-We are so glad you and your relative are pleased with your purchase! Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG 🙂