Magnolia virginiana seeds (Northern Sweet Bay Magnolia)

Description

Smooth gray bark and lovely oblong leaves that are green above and white below. The blossoms’ sweet clear perfume will haunt your mind so site this along a well used garden path as you be returning again and again. Flowers appear in abundance in June then sporadically until frost. Form varies depending on the site; here in the north, its a multi-stemmed 8m suckering shrub. In the south, its more tree like reaching 15 meters in height with half the spread. Can be evergreen or deciduous (evergreen in mild climates and deciduous in colder ones).

• Seed Count: 12-15
• Collection Date: Oct 2024
• Hardiness Zone: 6-10
• Height and Width: 8m x 8m
• Germination test type: float; cut
• Family: Magnoliaceae

How to germinate Magnolia virginiana seeds:

Stratifying seed. Never let magnolia seed dry out as this kills the embryo. Sow immediately 2 cm deep, keep moist, keep the pot outside to finish the cold stratification cycle of 120 days. Sunlight inhibits germination. Most seed will germinate in May with the remaining the following year. Newly emerging seedlings need indirect light/dappled shade at first then stronger light as they put down a larger root system. Protect from nibbling pests two years. If you baggie sow these provide room temps with no supplemental warmth as they don’t seem to tolerate this. Once you see them crack open, transplant into a pot 15 mm deep as they don’t like being in the bag when root is more than 2cm long and mortality can be high.