Magnolia virginiana 'Sweetbay' #30 cont.Sweetbay Magnolia The Sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) is a native, small tree or tall shrub with fragrant, creamy white, lemon scented flowers that bloom in late spring and early summer. It has leathery, shiny, oblong lanceolate leaves with silvery undersides, which may be deciduous in colder climates but evergreen or semi evergreen in the southern part of its range. The tree grows in moist to wet, acidic soils, and produces cone like fruits