Great Trees for Georgia Landscapes

Volume 4, Issue 10
March 15, 2013
Great Trees for Georgia Landscapes
Table of Contents
Trees for Georgia
The genus Magnolia contains a Landscapes
large number of incredibly popular trees for pg. 1
southern landscapes. There are about 80
different species of Magnolia that are
Plant Sale
native to the eastern U.S. and southeastern
Asia. Last week, we discussed one species Offerings
pg. 2
of this genus native to Georgia, Magnolia grandiflora. This week we will focus on
another native Magnolia that is a great
performer for southern landscapes, Magnolia
virginiana, or Sweetbay Magnolia.
Lockerly Trustees
Magnolia virginiana flower
Monica Webb,
President
Sweetbay Magnolia is very common in the southeastern U.S. and is native to the eastern
United States from Massachusetts to Florida and west as far as east Texas. It is most commonly
Joe Mangum,
found growing in the coastal plain of the southeast, however, and seems to perform best in our
Vice
President
warm, humid climate. This tree is a great choice for landscapes in Zone 8, where it is typically
evergreen. This Magnolia features simple dark green leaves
with a silvery color on their undersides. The flowers, which
Robert Culberson, Ph.D.,
appear in May and June, are a creamy white and very
Treasurer
fragrant. This species is tolerant of wet soils and does
well in acidic soils in full sun to partial shade. Sweetbay
Sherrill Jones,
Magnolia’s habit is somewhat variable, depending on
Secretary
pruning practices, and can be shaped to form a singlestemmed tree or large multi-stemmed, round-headed shrub.
Kathy Chandler
In the landscape it may reach as high as 35 ft. tall, although
David Evans
it can grow to as tall as 60 ft. in southern portions of its
Steven M. Fortier, Ph.D.
native habitat.
Jan Flynn, Ph.D.
George Hogan, Sr.
Magnolia virginiana var. australis differs from the
James Marshall
species by being somewhat taller, having more fragrant
Jackie Nelson
flowers and being consistently evergreen. The cup-shaped
Doug R. Oetter, Ph.D.
flowers are creamy white and smell sweetly of lemon,
Joni Smith
appearing in mid-spring and sometimes sporadically in
Bruce Vaughn, CFP
summer. In autumn, bright red seeds are produced on
Al Woods
the tree, attracting an array of birds. This is an excellent
medium-sized flowering tree.
Magnolia virginiana var. australis
There are many cultivars of Magnolia virginiana on the market, and we have
several of the best planted here at Lockerly. Moonglow Sweetbay Magnolia is also
referred to as ‘Jim Wilson’ in honor of the southern plantsman of the same name
who hosted PBS Victory Garden for many years. This cultivar features small, pure
white, fragrant flowers and smooth, attractive bark. This cultivar is planted in our
Native Plant Collection and is doing very well. There is also ‘Green Shadow,’ which
holds up incredibly well in cold temperatures. Its flowers are lemon-scented and
will maintain their bloom period for four months during the summer. Also notable
is ‘Green Shadow’, an introduction from veteran plantsman Don Shadow of Winchester, TN. All Sweetbay cultivars do well in our climate and can make a great
evergreen addition to any southern landscape.
Magnolia virginiana ‘Jim Wilson’
What Treats Will You Find at the Spring Plant Sale?
By Barbie Colvin, Plant Sale Chairperson
Most gardeners have been teased with seed and plant catalogs since early
January. Now that March is here, the procrastination must end if you are going to
have a veggie garden because it's time to plant your tomato, pepper, eggplant and herb
seeds. If you like having healthy, high quality seedlings that have been tended with
the greatest of care, but you don't have the time to grow them yourself, then you're in
for a treat. This year the vegetable and herb selection at Lockerly's Spring Plant sale is
bigger than ever.
If you love pesto and Italian cooking, we have three varieties of basil - 'Dark Opal',
'Genovese' and 'Sweet Thai.' In addition, we'll have oregano, two types of parsley
('Giant of Italy' and 'Forest Green'), dill, three varieties of peppers and last but certainly
Basil ‘Sweet Thai’
not least, five varieties of tomatoes. 'New Girl' and 'Celebrity' are two mainstays in the
world of tomatoes. 'Brandywine' and 'Cherokee Purple' are wonderful heirloom varieties. And if you like to roast or can
tomatoes, or make your own sauce, a paste-type tomato is best, and 'San Marzano' is as good as they get. I've grown
dozens of paste-type tomatoes over the years and 'San Marzano' is the variety that I continue to plant year after year.
Instead of 3-4 ounce Roma-like tomatoes, these are substantially larger, usually in the 6-7 ounce range - very meaty with
small amounts of seeds and juice. Try roasting these with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a little garlic and some fresh ground
pepper. Unbelievably wonderful!
The plant sale is just a few short weeks away. Instead of buying and 'hatching' your vegetable seeds, prepare your garden
soil, find those family recipes and leave the 'hatching' to Lockerly!
Upcoming Events
Friday, April 12: Spring Plant Sale
1:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Saturday, April 13: Spring Plant Sale
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
RSVP to our Spring Plant Sale
on Facebook!