Magnolia in glory

The fringe benefit of our chasing cherry blossom trip at Washington DC and Chevy Chase, MD in early April is that we saw countless pansy flourishing in relative cold, heralding the arrival of spring, and many magnolias in glory.

rough and tough carpels

Dick Figlar said of magnolia, “the flower, the shape, the scent, the leaves, if you wanted to invent the perfect tree, you’d have to work pretty dam hard to make a better one.” Being the president of Magnolia Society International, Mr. Figlar could be biased. But magnolia has been around for 95 million years (one NY Times article said 65 million years); it evolved before bees appeared on Earth; so it evolved to adapt to the beetles as pollinators. One can see and feel the rough and tough carpels (see photo above) that can stand the crawling beetles.

My evolutionary theory is that a chanced mutation leading to a hardened carpel that can stand the beetles and thus survived and thrived, propagating the magnolia trees with the same characteristics. It is safe to say that a species surviving 95 million years has successfully gone through many evolutionary changes to adapt.

magnolia in glory in our backyard

magnolia in glory in our backyard

Shortly after our returning from DC, the magnolia in our backyard close to our garden began to bloom (see photos). Katy said there is a fragrance coming from magnolia flowers, I initially thought she was too imaginative, but staying closer I did smell a lemony scent.

It is good timing to talk about the Magnolia Lane in the Augusta National Golf Club in face of Tiger. Woods’ unbelievable storied comeback as a “Masters” in the green jacket today. This triumphal come-from-behind win took place at Augusta National, Georgia, where it boasts sixty huge magnolia trees at its entrance. Magnolia is also the state flower of Mississippi.

Magnolia Lane at Augusta National Golf Club

Magnolia is the symbol of the South. One can see a magnolia wreath was placed at the foot of a statue of Strom Turnmond, the late senator from South Carolina.

A New York Times article wrote, “magnolia may be best known as the sultry backdrops of Faulkner stories,” I cannot elaborate as I never read William Faulkner. About 15 years ago, after reading his Nobel speech, I was very impressed, I picked up Faulkner’s, but had to put it down as it was too difficult for me. I may try his The Sound and the Fury or As I lay dying one of these days, so I may know why this most famous Southern writer is called Magnolia Master.