Swamp Bay
Persea palustris
Swamp bay is an aromatic evergreen tree of Southeastern wetlands, a key larval host for palamedes and spicebush swallowtails, with blue fruit for birds. Note that laurel wilt disease now threatens redbays across the South.
- Family
- Lauraceae
- Type
- tree
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 35–35 ft
- Spacing
- 15–25 ft apart
- Light
- sun
- Soil moisture
- moist
- Soil pH
- acidic, neutral
- Bloom
- March, April, May, June
- Bloom colors
- white, yellow
- Wildlife value
- butterflies, songbirds
- Caterpillar hosts
- ~18 butterfly & moth species
- Landscape uses
- specimen, rain garden
- Native states
- AL, DE, FL, GA, LA, MD, MS, NC, SC, TX, VA