My brother's wife loves Magnolia flowers so he planted four trees in their back yard. These photos of magnolia buds, flowers and fruits were taken last September. The white ones are of the Southern Magnolia and I do not know what species the pink ones are. There are over 200 species in different shapes, sizes and flower colors.
The flowers have a wonderful lemony scent and in some species, the flowers appear before the leaves in the spring. And the flowers do not produce nectar but they do produce large amounts of pollen. Magnolias are an ancient genus and have been around before bees appeared, so maybe that is why beetles are usually the main pollinators of these flowers.
The first thing that comes to most minds when you hear talk about Southern Magnolia trees are the huge trees from the south, that grow up to a staggering 80 feet tall, and have large white flowers. However, you are able to find different varieties of the Southern Magnolia that grow approximately 12-20 feet tall. The flowers grow sporadically so you will never be at a loss of flowers until winter hits. The beautiful dark green leaves have a leathery feel to them with a coat of wax.
I don't know if the following is true for all species, but the center of the Southern Magnolia flower has a receptacle in the center which has many carpels on the top and many stamens on the bottom. Carpels are the female part of the flower and stamens are the male part of the flower.
When the petals have fallen off, you are left with the fruit of the tree which is filled with follicles. When the seeds have ripened, each follicle will split open in the middle to end of autumn, and bright red seeds will fall out. The birds go crazy over these seeds and is said to be their favorite food.
According to justfunfacts.com, "the life expectancy varies depending on the species and most have been known to survive for 100 years." Long live the magnificent magnolias!
Tree Tuesday by @old-guy-photos
Information Source: thespruce.com, homeguides.sfgate.com, gardenguides.com, justfunfacts.com, palomar.edu
Image Source: All photos are my own.
Lovely flower
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