Nice share! While I love many Magnolia’s, I have to say that Sweetbay is one of my LEAST favorite. They just look so ratty most of the time and half the year they look dead altogether. I think it’s just that they hold so few of leaves and everything is so spread out, they just don’t look dense and lush like most others do. Just my take on them! Nice job, keep it going!
Interesting! I get what you mean by the tree having a sparse crown, branches, and leaves. With that said, I have seen some well-pruned sweetbay, which creates denser branches and foliage. I saw several of these trees (all meticulously trimmed) growing at a mansion, with a few on either side of the entrance, and a few more growing near the outdoor pool and backyard patio. I mostly like them for blooming after the last frost, being relatively native (further south), and their resemblance (in my opinion) to a bay or laurel tree when meticulously pruned.
