Wood Species Guide
Sweetbay Magnolia
Magnolia virginiana
Also called: Sweetbay, Sweet Bay, Swamp Magnolia, Swamp Bay, Laurel Magnolia, Beaver Tree
About the name “Sweetbay Magnolia”
"Bay" is used for several Florida trees, including red bay and swamp bay (Persea) and loblolly bay (Gordonia). Sweetbay is the magnolia among them, with silvery leaf undersides and creamy, lemon-scented flowers.
What Sweetbay Magnolia looks like
The wide sapwood is creamy white to grayish, and the smaller heartwood is medium to dark brown, sometimes with green, purple or black streaks.
Grain and texture
Straight grain with a medium, uniform texture and a modest luster.
Working Sweetbay Magnolia: planing, cutting and gluing
Easy to work with hand and machine tools. It turns, glues and finishes well. Like other magnolias it is soft enough to dent.
Finishing Sweetbay Magnolia: oil, film finishes and epoxy
Takes paint and stain well; a conditioner helps keep stain even. The closed grain seals easily for epoxy. Streaked heartwood can look striking under a clear oil.
Durability, stability and Florida humidity
Not durable outdoors and susceptible to insects. Fairly stable once dry. In Florida, keep it indoors in AC and dry boards slowly to avoid warp.
Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop
Sweetbay grows in wet woods and along creeks all over Florida, including our area. The lumber is plain but easy to work, and streaky heartwood pieces make nice small boxes and turnings. It is a utility hardwood, not a slab wood we would build a big table from. We don't stock it, but ask us and we can often source it.
Common uses for Sweetbay Magnolia
Furniture frames, interior trim, boxes, veneer and plywood, turnings and general utility lumber.
Sustainability and CITES status
Not listed in the CITES Appendices. Rated Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Safety and toxicity
- Respiratory / asthma
A few reports of runny nose and asthma-like symptoms from magnolia dust. Serious reactions are uncommon.
- In the shop
- Dust collection + mask when sanding
- Food contact
- Use with care for cutting boards, bowls and utensils
General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.
Magnolia woods have been reported to cause runny nose and asthma-like symptoms in some people. Use dust collection and a mask.
Sweetbay Magnolia in stock now
Ask us. We can often source it.
We don't have Sweetbay Magnolia listed online right now, but new slabs and lumber come in all the time and not everything makes it to the website. Tell us what you're building and we'll check our racks and suppliers.
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