Magnificent Magnolias
Did you know magnolias are pollinated by beetles?
I love this time of year. Spring finally seems to be springing (in Kent at least), with cherry blossom and blackthorn blooming and nettles ripe for picking. I heard my first chiffchaff of the year yesterday! This time of year also means Magnolia to me.
I grew up seeing magnolias in front gardens of grand gardens of lovely South London houses and thinking “maybe one day I might be lucky enough to have a magnolia"… though, let’s be honest, those houses will forever be out of my price range! Up until a couple of years ago I really didn’t know anything about magnolias beyond the fact I thought they were pretty and that Mr Magnolia has only one boot!
Anyway, fast forward a few years and we rented a little flat in South London with a small garden containing a tiny magnolia. It wasn’t ours per se but for the couple of years we lived there I revelled in watching it bloom… warmer days were on the way!
Now I no longer have a magnolia in my garden, but I’ve spotted some magnificent magnolias around my new hometown, like the one in the photo below. Every time I’ve walked past it recently I’ve witnessed people stop and look at it or take a photo. It seems nobody can resist the magnolia’s charm.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of leading a nature journaling walk in Maidstone where there are some stunning examples of magnolia trees. Here are some facts I learnt about magnolias in preparation for that walk…
Magnolia Facts
Magnolia is actually a large genus containing hundreds of different species - it’s an ancient genus with ‘primitive’ flowers and fossil records suggest it dates back to the Cretaceous period (145-66 million years ago).
Magnolia petals are edible and taste a bit like ginger. You can pickle them, bake them into cookies, make jam and lots more… (Remember there are hundreds of magnolia species, so make sure to find the species that are definitely edible here and only consume wild food if you are 100% sure you can identify it correctly)
The petals of magnolia flowers are actually tepals, because the sepals and petals are indistinguishable (you might remember tepals from the snowdrops post).
Magnolias pre-date bees and other winged insects, so they are actually pollinated in the wild by wingless beetles! The magnolia’s reproductive parts are STUNNING - take a peek inside a flower next time you walk past one…
So look out for magnolias this week - there’s bound to be one near you!
Sources and Further Reading…
Magnolia: Ancient Crone of Flowers
You might also like…
Get to Know the Chiffchaff
Today I’d like you to notice a bird named for their song - the chiffchaff. I’ve tried something different this week, and recorded some audio, in which (I hope) you can hear a chiffchaff, alongside a great tit and another surprise bird who muscled in on my recording.
Cuckoo!
This week I’d like to encourage you to look out for a pretty flower I very much associate with this particular time of year. Cuckooflower is said to bloom at the same time the cuckoo calls in spring. It’s also known as Lady’s-smock, which Robin Harford
So interesting! About the beetles...
I don't have any magnolia's - in fact, sadly they don't seem to be popular in my area! But I did also hear my first chiffchaff the other day 💚and I grew some cuckooflower from seed last year and planted it out in my wildlife garden. I hope that it flowers..
The first time I saw a cuckoo flower it was at the exact same time I heard the cuckoo calling in the distance. I love these magical moments!!
They are AMAZING right now! The colours are fabulous, and this season has given them the perfect conditions. No frost, the winds stopped before they flowered, and they’ve been warm. All these have come together to create the most magnificent magnolia show