Magnolia Town

It's that time of the year when all the magnolia trees shed their little furry cases they've been sporting since February, and their magnificent flowers erupt into view, the most beautiful blooms sported by any tree.

Beautiful yes, but useless, I tend not to see any pollinators on these flowers. But at the moment they are making the town look stunning.

This at a time when the crocuses have suddenly gone, and the glory of the snows is on the way out too. Another time of change. The spanish bluebells have started appearing in sporadic locations, and the various white flowers I can never identify are appearing too - by the library where the flower bees feed off them, a few in Friary Gardens.

Soon saxifrage will be rampant in the cemetery. Everything is very ephemeral during spring.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 20.03.17

Magnolia Really Cooking Now!

Another bonus update of sorts, triggered by noticing that the local and much photographed magnolia is now flowering full blast, it's magnificent blooms drooping mightily above the pavement, their furry cases now a memory. Most of the magnolias I see around own are white, so this violet-pinkish specimen really stands out.

Noted scientists (Professor W. Iki) say that these flowers evolved to be pollinated by beetles at a time before the existence of bees, and indeed there is a slightly prehistoric feel about the magnolia.

You could easily imagine it lurking and mutated in the tropical gymnosperm swamps that covered Britain in JG Ballard's wonderful novel "The Drowned World", a science fiction work all nature lovers should read.

There is talk that magnolia has medicinal properties, that it's bark might help fight bad breath and tooth decay. But I think I'll pass on giving it a quick chew as I go by later, and stick to my boring old toothbrush.

Which let's face it, almost certainly hasn't been widdled on by a dog.

Si

The whole tree

Flowers have really loose structure

Reward would have awaited persistent beetle

The structure from behind