Loblolly Bay
Gordonia lasianthus
- Native to:
- United States
iNaturalist: © autrpy (iNaturalist #66673205)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Theaceae
- Genus:
- Gordonia
- Species:
- Gordonia lasianthus
- USDA Symbol:
- GOLA
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub , Tree
- Height:
- 1500 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep
- Bloom Colors:
- white
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Promethea silkmoth (Callosamia promethea), saucereye silkmoth (Callosamia securifera), White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, birds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from base after fire. Found in fire-maintained wet pine savannas and bay swamps.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- moist, acidic, sandy loam
- pH:
- 4.5 - 6.5 (acidic to slightly acidic)
- Drainage:
- good drainage preferred
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- native to wetland areas, prefers acidic soils
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 30–90 days
- Notes:
- Seeds have low viability and germination can be erratic. Fresh seed germinates best.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Tip cuttings of crisp green wood, stripped of all but 2 to 3 firm leaves near the apical meristem, dipped 5 sec in a 1:10 dilution of Wood's liquid rooting compound. Cuttings were stuck into individual Spin-Out-treated containers filled 1.5:1 perlite:sphagnum peat moss medium.
Establishment: Cuttings in 10 X 10 X 10 cm (4 X 4 X 4 in) square containers had much more robust top growth. The plant produces seeds in quantity from its large, fragrant white flowers that appear through much of the summer, but seedlings are rarely observed in the wild. The mechanism of natural regeneration is unclear.
Source: npn.rngr.net