ELDER EDGES:

MAGNOLIA GRANDIOSA

I've been obsessed with the beauty, grace, metaphoric symbolism and story of a huge magnolia tree that stands by the pool at my apartment complex.  The twinkles from the water in the pool reflect on the dark, green, waxy leaves of the tree, flashing tiny florescent bubbles that seem to enhance the varying sizes and phases of the magnolia's blossoms, revealing their showy, lemon-scented beauty.

         

The Magnolia Grandiflora is a medium to large evergreen deciduous tree that has been known to grow to 120 feet.  Other names for this species include bull-bay, big-laurel, or large-flower magnolia. It has a single stem (trunk) and is in the shape of a pyramid.  It prefers rich, moist, well-drained soil.  I learned that fossilized specimens of M. acuminata, the magnolia, have been found dating to 20 million years ago.  So magnolias evolved before bees appeared!  The flowers developed to encourage pollination by beetles; this is why the carpels of magnolia flowers are so tough - to avoid damage by the eating and crawling of the beetles.  Our lovely magnolia tree is an example of age at its very best.  You notice the size of our tree first, of course; this deep green friend that graces the entrance to our pool is huge, nicely shaped and in just the right spot to entice you to notice the large, white blossoms as well as their aging counterparts, interestingly shaped, burnt sienna colored, and floppy.  Southern magnolia trees average 60 to 80 feet tall, living far beyond 50 years.  A deep-rooted species, southern magnolia is tolerant of shade but needs more light as it becomes older.  Winter droughts can cause die-back and affect mortality.

Magnolias are one of this planet's most primitive plants; fossil records show that they once existed in Europe, North America and Asia over 100 million years ago. The word, magnolia, was used by the Swedish botanist Carl Inneaus in 1737; he was honoring the life of the French botanist Pierre Magnol.  Earliest records record the cultivation of magnolias in Aztec history at the time of Montezuma. Because cutting the flowers for festivals prevented the seeding of plants, it survived in only a few places in the wild.  Hernandez, a Spanish explorer, found it again, and today it is indigenous in Southern China and the Southern United states.

Early references to magnolias in literature refer to its medicinal properties.  In China, flower buds are used to treat headaches and allergies.  There is potential use of a drug that could be created from the bud that may be used in the treatment of cancer.  And tonics from the bark of one of the types of Magnolia tend to lessen tremor in Parkinson's disease patients.  

In many other areas where other species might do poorly, this magnolia can grow because of resistance to damage by sulfur dioxide and other poisons. Seeds are enjoyed by squirrels, opossums, quail and turkeys and other wildlife. 

The Magnolia Grandiflora is the tree I live with.  An American evergreen species, it originated in the south and is the official state flower of Mississippi and Louisiana. Astonishingly, one of the closest genetic relations to our grand tree is the buttercup!  The flowers on the tree appear over a period of several weeks in early summer. 

Interesting that all phases of the blossom can be seen in the tree at the same time:  A conical shaped bud; a new, not quite open blossom; a fully open bloom; the mature flower; the waning of the bloom; the fruit of the center of the flower; and, of course, the leaves - painted in a variety of golden browns, rich yellow and ochres, silvery white etchings; and deep, dark greens.

THE BUD

The bud of the magnolia begins as a tight-lipped, elongated shape.  Enclosed in a bracht rather than sepals, its shape is positive, pointing upward with beauty and hope and with a strong stance!  Perianth parts of the bud are undifferentiated and are called tepals rather than sepals and petals.

The two-faced leaves compliment the rich, bright whiteness of the bud; their waxy, shiny tops reflect light, while the dull, heavy-textured, olive green or bronze underbelly, contrasts to the shiny tops.  

The bud is ready to become.

NEW BLOSSOM

In late spring, from June to early July, the buds, that began as a pale green goblet shape, begin to open.

After the tightly wound bud comes the slowly-paced, grand entrance of the magnolia-blossom-to-be.  The delicate petals, called tepals, emit a light lemon scent.  At this point, the center of the blossom cannot be seen.  The creamy white tepals, with their waxy texture, emerge from the tips of twigs on mature trees.

MATURE BLOSSOM

There is a slow progression of beginning to blossom to a fully opened magnolia.

The fullness of the flower, the waxy beauty of the thick petals, and the bright, red center are a full package.  

And there is that unique scent - sweet, but not too sweet; lemony, but not heavily so; and especially fragrant in the early evening and again in the coolness of early morning.

This blossom is a photographer's delight.  When I shot the outside of one of the full blossoms, thinking the inside of the flower would not be apparent, I was surprised at the beauty of the capture.  Shadows on leaves and flower add to the mystery of the blossom.

THE WANING OF THE BLOOM

After a period of a number of weeks, sometimes more than a month, the blossoms begin to fade. Petals slump, and the blossom flattens out; the tips of the petals show a slight browning that increases by the day - kind of letting it all hang out.

The blossom displays another surprise and changes into a burnt sienna hued garb.  The richness of the color is eye-opening!

I especially admire the abstract forms and the "faces" peering out from the bloom, enhanced by  rich browns and deep, warm saffrons.  As the blossom completes its cycle, in this photo, two friends at the top seem to me to be embracing, kissing and pleading, "Don't forget our lovely time together this life!"   Or I see two triangular eyes above a puffy nose, hair blowing in the wind, and a pointed chin below a mouth that seems to breathe in a silky voice, "Goodbye for now! Goodbye!  I had a lovely time." Or maybe a monk in saffron garb, hands clasped in a final greeting.

THE FRUIT

The last vestige of the magnolia flower is the "fruit" or pod that ends up, with some of the leaves, on the ground below the tree.   

I offer my watercolor of a pod just before it will leave the tree.  The colored circles depict the reflection of the water on the shiny leaves from the perspective of the swimmer in the pool.

Although it might look like a cone, it is an aggregate fruit; seeds are enclosed in the fruit during its development and are thus considered angiosperms.  When the fruit matures, scale-like areas split apart and the seeds that are covered in a red aril are exposed. 

You can grow magnolias from seed, but you'll need lots of practice.  It will take a few months to see signs of sprouting - and your seedlings could take as long as 15 years to bloom!  It's worth the hassle.  You look for magnolia cones that are already opening up and releasing seeds.  You can collect cones and let them dry and then open.  Shake the the red seeds out of the cone; then scrub them with a paper towel to remove the red, pubpy coating.  You could also try soaking the seeds in water overnight to soften them.  Don't keep the ones that float.  Roughen up the surface of the seed coat (called scarifying) by lightly scrubbing the seed with a piece of sandpaper or steel wool.  That removes the protective oils, making it easier for the seed to sprout.  Let the seeds rest for 3 to 6 months at around 40 to 4 degrees F - without drying out.  

Easiest is mixing the seeds with moist seed-starting mix or peat, put in a plastic bag and leave them in the fridge for the winter.  Or you can plant the seeds in a seed tray or pot and put them in a cold frame.  Note:  I'm going to try planting one in a pot soon; one of the videos mentioned in my Sources list has a grower insisting that, because these trees grow so slowly, a magnolia (he mentions the best choices for this) can grow for years in a pot.  But, if you'd rather just plant your seeds outdoors, do so about 1/2" deep with a layer of mulch to hold in moisture.  They might not survive freeze or a dry out, but squirrels and other critters will enjoy what's left, so you just try again the next time!

In the spring, when the temperature is about 70 degrees, you plant the seeds in the ground (or in pots) about 1/2" deep in light planting medium.  Keep moist until germination - about a few weeks longer.  Transplant to permanent home when they are a bit bigger.  (Or, leave them in your pot!)

This is a big tree, and it can't tolerate too much pruning because it needs to be settled in its own shade.  So plant your magnolia where it will get sun and shad and plenty of room to grow. 

THE LEAVES

For me, the leaves are as fascinating as the blossoms and the other parts of the magnolia.  They are like little Rorscharch tests, ready to be analyzed.  I see eyes!  I see faces!  I see lovely ripples of smooth, warm colors.  I have photographed and painted them; I never tire of this.

The leaves of our magnolia seem to mimic the early buds; broadly ovate, they are long and broad with smooth margins.  

Thick, leathery, and dark evergreen, the leaves are up to 12 inches long, with lustrous tops that pick up the light and allow shadows.  

There is a coppery or dark, olive green fuzz on the undersides; some might say this detracts, but I don't agree, for it is the perfect yang of the beauteous yin, the "true" and natural state of all of life, without artifice.

ALL PHOTOS AND PICTURES OF WATERCOLORS ARE THE PROPERTY OF ANNE MORIN.  PLEASE SO NOTE IF USED.  THANKS!

SOURCES

http://www.magnoliasociety.org/WhoWeAre 

https://www.facebook.com/Magnolia-Society_164831075678

www/southernliving.com 

YouTube:  Look for some of the following interesting videos:

Pat Rick's 9 Different Magnolia Trees;

Andy Sudbock's Southern Magnolias and Varieties; 

The Garden Corner (in Tualatin, Oregon!); 

ehow garden (for pruning tips); 

Julie Day's How to Grow Magnolia Trees From Seed; and

Wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia - grandiflora