Ah! Magnolia

Magnolia catching Moonbeams

Ah, the Magnolia, its fragrant blossom an image of the Southland.  

I suppose many folks have a favorite tree, and if I think about it, I am not sure that the magnolia would be my favorite of them all, but after all I did plant one in my back yard twenty-five years ago or so; so I'd say I do admire the magnolia.  I know that my first impression of the magnolia tree goes back to 1962 when we were living on Regalia Court in California, and the landowner next door had a wonderful old house with a magnolia tree planted in the corner of what seem to this 4-year old as an immense walled verdant garden grounds.  The seed pods of the magnolia looked  to me like a pagoda from the mysterious orient and inside this little pagoda of a pod were "beans" that were the brightest of reds, red like the silk worn by a Chinese princess.  And when I scratched these bright red beans, the aroma was strong and distinctive.  I admired the magnolia for is bold and distinctive colors, scents and shapes.  I am pretty sure these memories are why I have a magnolia arching over by back deck in Texas this day.

There are less admirable qualities of the magnolia too, they drop their leaves year round, and some would see the magnolia as only a "messy tree".  But do we all not have a lesser trait or two also?  These magnolia leaves in life are a broad and study waxy green on the limb, and they remain still a broad and study leaf as if they were made of dried parchment when they drop to the ground.  My mulching mower makes the leaves of parchment disappear every weekend with a satisfying pass over the lawn.

The glory of the magnolia is late Spring when the broad white pedals of the fragrant blossom open up for but a day or two as if the broad waxy green leaves have captured last night's moonbeams.  The blossom smells so fruity and sweet that we are want to harvest one of them when they appear on some of the lower boughs.  We place the blossom on our dining table and often bow to inhale its fragrance as we pass the room.  Yet these blossoms soon turn from the soft moonlight white to a uniform soft cinnamon brown that calls to my mind the sun kissed skin of south pacific island maidens.

The magnolia is a delight to the senses.  Perhaps the most of the salient senses of a Texas Spring is the feel of heavy, humid air that comes upon us.  While the humidity is personally not pleasant, the Texas Spring brings other pleasures such as the evening fireflies, fine multi-sensory thunderstorms which waters the magnolia tree and then knock off its leaves, only to grow more leaves along with its large, showy pure white blossoms.  The majestic magnolia, emblem of the good things in life right under our noses.