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Theaceae
Loblolly Bay
Gordonia lasianthus
Southern grace and untamed beauty.
- Family
- Theaceae
- Genus
- Gordonia
- Native to
- southeastern United States
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- evergreen tree
- Height
- 600–2000 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- acidic, moist, sandy or peaty
- Water
- high; tolerates wet conditions
- Hardiness
- 7–9
- Lifespan
- perennial tree; 50–100 years
Did you know
- The fragrant white flowers resemble small camellias, as both belong to the tea family Theaceae.
- 'Loblolly' is a Southern dialect word meaning a low, swampy area — the tree's preferred habitat.
- It is named after Scottish botanist James Gordon, a renowned London nurseryman of the 1700s.
- The bark contains tannins historically used for tanning leather in the American South.
- Despite being in the tea family, no drinkable tea has been successfully made from its leaves.
Color meanings
White
purity and wild elegance