Sweet Bay Magnolia Tree Height Shipped:3 4 Feet This tree is also a old_product_id_10593 This tree is also a native hardwood which provides habitat for birds‚ squirrels‚ and a collection of other species‚ as well as contributing to the overall success of natural communities․ Native oaks contribute to the health of natural communities by providing habitat‚ seasonal food‚ and nesting sites․ Many a Southerner holds happy memories of walking through a loblolly grove The leaves have also been described as one of the more impressive and decorative aspects of the sweet bay magnolia․ The smooth leaves are dark green above and paler below‚ often almost silvery․ The leaves of this tree are up to eight inches long with an elliptical shape․ The leaves droop down‚ forming a teardrop shape that helps give the tree its sweeping appearance․ When the tree is in a breeze‚ the leaves whisper․ The sound of the leaves in the wind and the sight of the massed foliage makes this a tree which encourages people to sit beneath‚ making it ideal for use as a tree to be found in gardens and parks․ The leaves have an aroma and slightly lemon scented qualities when crushed․ The sweet bay magnolia tree has long been used in southern American gardens and parks as a foundation plant and a border plant‚ as the shrub is hardy and grows well in consistently wet soil‚ making it a good choice for public parks and gardens․ The sweet bay has been widely used by homeowners and landscape architects for the ornamental qualities that the shrub has․ It provides helpful shade‚ stabilizes soil‚ and contributes to biodiversity in the areas where it is grown․ Magnolia is commonly used in landscape architecture for wetland and dryland applications and represents a variety of plant materials that can have different functions in a landscape․ Because of this‚ this plant has been a mainstay throughout the years and still finds its way into numerous properties year after year․