Theaceae -- Tea family

    Charles A. Gresham and Donald J. Lipscomb

    Loblolly-bay (Gordonia lasianthus), also called holly-bay,  gordonia, and bay, is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree or  shrub found in acid, swampy soils of pinelands and bays on the  Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains. It is slow growing with soft,  light-colored, fine-grained wood of little commercial value,  although loblolly-bay could be managed as a source of pulpwood.  The white showy flowers and shiny foliage make it a desirable  ornamental, but it is not easy to cultivate. Deer browse stump  sprouts heavily.