Many homeowners want a fragrant, flowering tree that holds its leaves through winter without giving up on cold hardiness. Most sweetbay magnolias sold up north drop their leaves every fall, just like a maple or oak. 'Henry Hicks' is different.
This article covers where the cultivar came from, how big and how fast it actually grows, its real cold tolerance, and what it needs to thrive in a Mid-Atlantic or Northeastern landscape.
Key Takeaways
- 'Henry Hicks' is an evergreen-to-semi-evergreen sweetbay magnolia cultivar hardy through USDA Zone 5
- Mature height is typically 20-25 feet in cooler climates, occasionally 30-40 feet
- Lemon-scented white flowers bloom heavily in June with sporadic repeat blooms into summer
- Growth is slower and more compact than typical seedling-grown sweetbay magnolias
- Sourcing is tricky — this remains a rare, collector-grade selection
What Is the Henry Hicks Sweetbay Magnolia?
'Henry Hicks' is a cultivar of Magnolia virginiana var. australis, the tree-form, largely evergreen southern variety of the native sweetbay magnolia. The official cultivar register published in HortScience describes it as evergreen, with downward-pointing leaf tips and white flowers carrying around 11 tepals.
You can usually identify the tree by a few signature traits:
- Glossy dark green leaves with silvery-white undersides that flash in the wind
- Smooth gray bark similar to a beech tree
- Pyramidal to broad-rounded habit at maturity, often dense enough for screening
- Fragrant white flowers that bloom heavily in early summer
That evergreen habit sets it apart from the deciduous northern sweetbay forms most garden centers sell. 'Henry Hicks' holds its foliage through winter and tolerates cold better than most evergreen magnolias, so northern gardeners get a plant they'd otherwise have to skip.
The cultivar was selected from a specimen growing at the Scott Arboretum and formally registered in 1967. Its parent species naturally grows in coastal plain wetlands from Massachusetts to Florida and west into Texas, which is why the tree prefers moist, acidic soils in the landscape.
The Story Behind the Name: Henry Hicks, McDaniel & Wister
The name isn't decorative. It honors a real person with a real nursery legacy.
Henry Hicks was a third-generation Long Island nurseryman, born in 1870. He studied under horticulturist Liberty Hyde Bailey and helped expand his family's operation, Hicks Nurseries, into one of the era's more innovative growing operations.
The tree came to bear his name through a friendship, not a marketing decision:
| Who | Role |
|---|---|
| John C. Wister | Received the plant in 1937, planted it at Scott Arboretum, and named it for Henry Hicks |
| Joseph C. McDaniel | Selected the seedling, registered it in 1967, and shared propagation material |
| Scott Arboretum | Still maintains the original 1967 tree in its magnolia collection |
So Wister named it, McDaniel selected and registered it, and the original tree is still growing where it started nearly six decades ago. That's rare in horticulture. Most named cultivars lose track of their source tree within a generation.
How Tall Does Henry Hicks Sweetbay Magnolia Get, and How Fast Does It Grow?
Size estimates for 'Henry Hicks' vary more than you'd expect, and the reason comes down to climate and site conditions.
Mature Size Range
Published height ranges differ by climate and source:
- Newport Tree Conservancy: 20-25 feet in Rhode Island gardens, with some trees exceeding 30 feet
- Michael Dirr: 30-40 feet tall by 20-30 feet wide, based on a Georgia specimen
- Northeastern growers: a more compact 15-20 foot eventual height for regional landscapes
That narrower, columnar-to-pyramidal habit is a real advantage near a property line or in a tighter side yard.
Growth Rate: Slower Than You'd Think
Magnolia virginiana as a species is generally a fast grower, often pushing 1-2 feet per year as a young seedling. 'Henry Hicks' bucks that trend. Dirr specifically observed his own specimen as a "slow mover" compared to other sweetbay selections. That's good news if you don't want a tree that outgrows its space in five years, and less ideal if you're impatient for shade.
Lifespan
Documented trees at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville are estimated at roughly 50 years old and still thriving, consistent with the cultivar's 1967 introduction. Sweetbay magnolias in general can live well beyond 80 years in healthy, established conditions.
The takeaway: soil quality, sun exposure, and moisture availability drive both how fast this tree grows and how large it ultimately gets. A tree in swampy, full-sun conditions will behave very differently than one in dry shade.
Does Henry Hicks Sweetbay Magnolia Lose Its Leaves in Winter?
Mostly no. 'Henry Hicks' is one of the earliest and hardiest evergreen sweetbay selections, and it generally holds its foliage through a typical winter rather than dropping it like deciduous northern forms.
Its cold tolerance is well documented:
- Reported to remain evergreen even after exposure to -17°F
- Reliably hardy through USDA Zone 5
- Considered comfortably hardy well beyond where most evergreen magnolias survive
That said, don't expect perfection every year. In unusually harsh winters, or at the coldest edge of its hardiness range, some leaf browning or partial drop can occur.
Horticultural accounts from the Scott Arboretum describe the cultivar as sporadically evergreen in colder years. Leaves may look tattered by March. The tree typically recovers and leafs out fully each spring, so a rough winter isn't a death sentence—just a cosmetic setback.
Flowers, Fruit & Seasonal Interest
The flowers are the reason most people fall for this tree in the first place. Fragrant, lemon-scented, and creamy white with around 11 tepals, they bloom heavily in June and keep producing sporadically through the summer months. Stand under one on a warm evening and the scent carries.
Come fall, the show shifts to fruit:
- Cone-like seed pods develop and split open in autumn
- Bright red seeds stand out against the foliage once the pods open
- Birds flock to the seeds as a reliable fall food source
Sweetbay magnolia also serves as a larval host plant for swallowtail butterflies. If you're planting for wildlife as much as aesthetics, you get both in one tree.
Planting & Care Requirements for Henry Hicks Sweetbay Magnolia
Site choice matters more for this tree than for most ornamentals. Match it to moist, acidic ground and it establishes with far less struggle.
Soil and Sun
'Henry Hicks' prefers fertile, acidic, moist, well-drained soil. It is more tolerant of swampy or boggy sites than most magnolias, a trait inherited from its wetland-native parent species.
For sun, aim for full sun to partial shade. More direct sun generally means heavier flowering.
Planting and Pruning Tips
- Plant at the original soil depth, keeping the root flare slightly above grade
- Water consistently during the first growing season to establish deep roots
- Prune to remove multiple competing stems on young trees, encouraging a single central leader
- Keep pruning minimal overall; this species doesn't need heavy shaping
Sourcing a Rare Cultivar
Here's the honest challenge: propagation has historically been difficult. Softwood cuttings often fail to root reliably, so grafting remains the preferred method for producing true-to-name 'Henry Hicks' stock. That difficulty is why the cultivar stays rare in the trade: few nurseries grow it at scale.
For true-to-name stock, a specialist grower is the practical route. Brandywine Trees, a Pennsylvania-based wholesale nursery in Chester County, grows over 100 tree varieties as Transplant Ready Trees™, root-developed in air-pruning bags rather than dug bare from a field. That approach delivers a fuller, healthier root system at transplant time.
Brandywine Trees carries 'Henry Hicks' among its rare and hard-to-find magnolia selections. Availability can fluctuate on collector-grade stock, and it is sometimes out of stock. If it is not currently listed, the nursery also grows other sweetbay magnolia cultivars, including 'Moonglow' and 'Australis.'
Homeowners and landscape professionals in PA and DE order direct from the grower. Wholesale pricing starts at a minimum of three trees per order (mix and match across varieties).
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall does a Henry Hicks sweetbay magnolia get?
Typically 20-25 feet in cooler climates like the Northeast, though it can reach 30-40 feet under favorable soil and sun conditions. Its columnar-to-pyramidal shape keeps it narrower than many other magnolias.
What is the lifespan of a Henry Hicks sweetbay magnolia?
Documented specimens, including trees at Cave Hill Cemetery, are around 50 years old and still thriving. Healthy, well-established sweetbay magnolias in general can live 80 years or more.
Do Henry Hicks sweetbay magnolias lose their leaves in winter?
Mostly no. It's one of the hardiest evergreen sweetbay selections, retaining foliage even after exposure to -17°F. Harsh winters can cause some browning or drop, but the tree recovers each spring.
Do Henry Hicks sweetbay magnolias grow fast?
Not particularly. Young sweetbay seedlings often grow quickly, but 'Henry Hicks' is a slower, more measured grower than other cultivars.
What USDA hardiness zone is Henry Hicks sweetbay magnolia suited for?
It's reliably hardy through USDA Zone 5, making it well-suited for Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern gardens where most evergreen magnolias would struggle.
Where can I buy a Henry Hicks sweetbay magnolia tree?
Rare cultivars like this are best sourced from specialty growers rather than big-box garden centers. Brandywine Trees carries it as a direct-from-grower wholesale option for quantity orders in PA and DE, though stock is limited given its collector status.