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Loblolly Bay

Gordonia lasianthus

Found in pocosins, bayheads, acidic, organic-rich swamp forests, wet pine savannas, bay forests. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Florida edition What its natural habitat tells you

49
Good

Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

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Height
30–75 feet
Spread
10–15 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist

Space about 12.5 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Evergreen
Bloom
July to September
Fruiting season
September to October

Recorded in 54 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Swamps

Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp
Regional / representative. Shown: Southern coastal swamps, Florida to Virginia; state not identified, a neighboring state.Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Pocosins and bay forests

Dense evergreen shrub wetlands and bay forests on wet, acid peat of the Coastal Plain.

Pine savannas

Open, fire-kept longleaf pine stands over grasses and wildflowers on wet to moist sandy soil.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Florida. Shared habitat, not food. 125 animals.

All wildlife of Florida

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

8CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Gordonia

  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
  • Callosamia securiferaSweetbay Silkmoth, Carolina Silk Moth
  • Episimus tyriusMaple Tip Borer
  • Gondysia similisGordonia Darkwing
  • Iridopsis defectariaBrown-Shaded Gray, Willow Looper
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Paralobesia liriodendranaTulip-Tree Leaftier
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
3BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Gordonia

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Theaceae
Hardiness
Zones 7a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
White
Growth rate
Slow
Growth habit
Single stem
Foliage color
Dark green
Fruit begins
September
Fruit ends
October

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Florida rankS5
Global rankG5
FL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Sources