the.com/magnolia
Older than bees, so it bribed beetles to do its dirty pollination work instead.
means A flowering tree or shrub prized for its large, fragrant, often creamy-white or pink blossoms, native to Asia and the Americas.
from Named in honor of Pierre Magnol, a French botanist who organized plants into families, with the Latinizing suffix '-ia' tacked on to make a proper genus name — a posthumous botanical tribute, since the naming was popularized by Carl Linnaeus.
- prehistoric
- Bloomed 95 million years before bees existed
- tough petals
- Thick blooms evolved to survive clumsy beetles
- ancient genus
- Fossils date back nearly 100 million years
- southern icon
- Mississippi's state flower and tree
- edible
- Petals are pickled and eaten in Japan
magnolia grandiflora — native tree to southeastern united states, largest magnolia flowers in north america at 12 inches wide
magnolia x soulangeana — hybrid magnolia, most commonly planted ornamental variety worldwide since 1820s
magnolia virginiana — native magnolia to eastern united states, the only semi-evergreen species in north america