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Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Blunting Effect Boring Carving Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Drying Rate Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning Veneering Qualities Scientific Name Magnolia virginiana Trade Name Sweetbay Family Name Common Names Magnolia, Swamp magnolia, Swampbay, Sweetbay Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] United States Common Uses Boxes and crates, Building materials, Casks, Chairs, Chests, Concealed parts (Furniture), Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Kitchen cabinets, Living-room suites, Millwork, Moldings, Office furniture, Packing cases, Paneling , Radio - stereo - TV cabinets, Rustic furniture, Stools, Tables , Trimming, Turnery, Utility furniture, Veneer, Wainscotting, Wardrobes Environmental Profile Generally secure within its natural habitat Distribution Overview The range of sweetbay extends chiefly along the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains from Long Island south through New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylavania to southern Florida, west to eastern Texas, and north into southern Arkansas and southwest Tennessee. Sweetbay is most abundant in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. Magnolia virginiana performs well in a wide range of soil conditions from wet to slightly dry. It is common in moist, acid soils close to wet places such as ponds, streams, and cutover lands. Although Magnolia virginiana is a swamp or bog tree, it will grow well in fertile, moist well drained soils. It is found mostly in full sunlight to partial shade elevation. Magnolia virginiana occurs to about 200 meters in elevation. Heartwood Color Brown Yellow Red Purple Black Orange Green Mineral deposits may cause dark purple streaks Greenish-Beige Sapwood Color White Yellow Brown Red Green/Grey White to yellow Grain Even Straight Straight Texture Medium Coarse Fine Stright and closed Similar to yellow poplar Luster Medium Satin-like luster Natural Durability Susceptible to insect attack Non-durable Non-resistant to termites Perishable Durable Moderately durable Non-resistant to powder post beetles Non-resistant to marine borers Resistant to termites Sapwood is vulnerable to attack by furniture beetles Heartwood has very little resistance to decay Odor No specific smell or taste Kiln Schedules T8 - D3 (8/4) US T10 - D4 (4/4) US Drying Defects Distortion Slight twist/warp Slight surface checking Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Rapidly Slowly Tangential shrinkage is large during air-seasoning Kiln-Dries easily with little degrade Kiln Drying Rate Naturally dries quickly Naturally dries at a moderate speed Tree Size Tree height is 20-30 m Tree height is 10-20 m Tree height is 30-40 m Trunk diameter is 100-150 cm Trunk diameter is 300-350 cm Trunk diameter is 250-300 cm Trunk diameter is 200-250 cm Trunk diameter is 150-200 cm Bole length is 0-10 m Tree height is 0-10 m The tree has a gray, smooth, thin, aromatic bark, Comments Contains mineral deposits that do not interfere with its working properties Popular as ornamental tree because of attractive flower and leaves The heartwood is dark and hard preferrable for furniture Blunting Effect Small effect Boring Fairly easy to very easy Easy Carving Carves well in dry condition Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Easy to saw Gluing Fairly Easy to Very Easy Excellent gluing properties Mortising Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Good mortising properties Moulding Good moulding properties Movement in Service Retains shape well after manufacture High Nailing Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Good nailing properties Planing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Planes well, to a good finish Easy to plane Resistance to Impregnation Permeable heartwood Permeable sapwood Sapwood is permeable Heartwood is moderately resistant Response to Hand Tools Easy to Work Fairly Difficult to Difficult to Work Good response Routing & Recessing Generally good Sanding Poor to Very Poor Results Generally good Screwing Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Excellent screwing properties Turning Fair to Good Results Very good Veneering Qualities Suitable for peeling Veneers easily Veneers moderately easy Steam Bending Good Polishing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Excellent results Staining Very Good to Excellent Results Fair to Good Results Staining is usually excellent Strength Properties Weight = medium Density = high Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Density 34 lbs/ft3 Specific Gravity 0.42 0.52 Weight 56 33 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % Volumetric Shrinkage 12 % Item Green Dry Metric Density 544 kg/m3 Specific Gravity 0.42 0.52 Weight 897 528 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 5 % Tangential Shrinkage 6 % References Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois and E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Madison, Wisconsin. Ecological Timber Company, Personal Communication, 1993. Kaiser, Jo-Ann. Wood of the Month: Magnolia - Lovely Magnolias are Older than Man. Wood & Wood Products, July 1987. Page 68. Lincoln, W.A. World Woods in Color. Linden Publishing Co. Inc., Fresno, California. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. 1980. Textbook of Wood Technology, 4th Edition. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook:Wood as an Engineering Material. Agriculture Handbook No. 72. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Madison, Wisconsin.