Meaning of Magnolia Flowers

The magnolia tree is a fixture in the southern states of the U.S. and when it blooms it is a harbinger that spring has finally arrived. The magnolia flower is beautiful and has been given special meaning over the years. The magnolia flower represents "splendid beauty and dignity" and it is a welcome sight throughout the countryside. The magnolia tree was named after a French botanist from the 1600s named Pierre Magnol, and is a tree that has 90 different species in the U.S. alone.

Considerations
The magnolia flower has been associated with beauty and perseverance, as well as dignity and nobility. The symbolic meaning of flower species has been passed down from generation to generation and arose from fables and legends connected to the flower. Unfortunately many of the origins of these meanings have been lost over time and such is the case with the magnolia. The magnolia has also been said to symbolize sweetness and a love for nature.

Time Frame
The most famous magnolia is a species known as Magnolia grandiflora. It has the trademark large flowers and leaves that are best described as leathery in texture. This species of magnolia begins to bud as early as the end of March in regions of the Deep South and has flowers by the middle of April. The flowers bloom later in the spring the farther north you go in the U.S. The flowers in the south are long gone by time July arrives. Their flowers are so popular that it is easy to see how they are associated with a love of nature. Known as one of the prettiest of all flowers, the magnolia symbolizing "splendid beauty" is a perfect match. While other flowers have a meaning denoting such facets of beauty as "intellectual beauty" and "pensive beauty" the magnolia alone is singled out for its "splendid" beauty, so vibrant in its appearance.

Identification

The Magnolia grandiflora flower starts out as a small bud at the tip of a branch, which often becomes a meal for squirrels, who love the taste of them. It is enveloped in a brownish sheath which will fall away and reveal a blossom with as many as 14 petals. The magnolia petals will open in layers, shaped like a cup, and they are white with a yellow stamen in the center. As they age they slowly turn brown before falling away.

Size
The magnolia tree is a native to the southeastern United States and Asia as well. It has been utilized for some time in the U.S. as an ornamental shade tree but it also is a good source of lumber. It can grow to heights of 90 feet and has some of the largest leaves of any tree, with some species having leaves that are 10 inches long. The magnolia flower can be 8 to 10 inches across. The height of the tree certainly has much to do with it being associated with dignity and nobility.

Geography
The magnolia tree is the official state tree of Mississippi, where it is found in great numbers. The flower is also the official state flower of Mississippi and Louisiana as well. Magnolias have had their range expanded because of their appeal and beauty, with various species now found all over the United States. In 1900 the Mississippi legislature held an election among school children to pick a state flower, with the magnolia winning in a landslide victory. Impressed with what the magnolia stood for, the state eventually designated it the official state flower.

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Description of Magnolia Flowers

Believed to be present from the dawn of time, magnolia trees bear blooms that transport the beholder back in time to days of ancient beauty and tough flora that was made to survive. Through years of climate and geological change, the family Magnoliaceae thrives in hardy varieties worldwide, beloved by the gardeners that still tend them today.

Colors
The family Magnoliaceae has a history long and varied, full of varieties that have naturally altered over time, and those that have been cultivated for look, hardiness or beauty. Magnolia blossoms are pure white, mauve to rosy pink, or variations of purple. One cultivar of the saucer magnolia, Lennei, bears blossoms of a deep purple-red, while Grace McDade blooms a lovely lavender pink.

Bloom Forms
Magnolia trees bear different types of blooms, and each bloom form represents a species with a number of cultivars or varieties. Southern magnolia or Bull Bay produces large, open florets with a conical central receptacle. Star magnolia are so named for bunches of leggy, long-petaled blooms that grow in clusters. Saucer magnolia blooms have finger-length, cupped petals that point upwards as they open, often hiding the center.

Tepals
The term tepals refers to a flower that bears a variety of parts resembling petals, called sepals, along with true petals. Sepals most often are the color of the flower stem, and are smaller and spade shaped, meant to protect the bud while closed. In some blooms, including the magnolia, the sepals are just as colorful and finely textured as the petals, making them indistinguishable from each other. The magnolia produces flowers with six or more tepals.

Reproductive Parts
Some flowering trees only produce flowers with one sex, so they rely on another tree to pollinate them. Magnolia trees generally produce bisexual flowers, able to self-pollinate. The center of the magnolia bloom bears a conical receptacle which houses the carpels, containing ovules or eggs, which are surrounded by stamens and anthers. Since this receptacle is elongated, it is prominent and can be seen clearly in most magnolia species. Fruit of mature eggs become bright orange or red seeds, exposed on the receptacle's exterior, adding off-season interest and food for birds.

Pollination
One fascinating aspect of the magnolia bloom is the history of this genus dating back to ancient times before bee pollination is believed to be widespread. Beetles are the fairy godmothers of the magnolia, crawling over the extra tough exteriors of carpels, spreading pollen for a grateful host. Liriodendron, a sub-family of the magnolia containing only the tulip tree species, is the solitary bee-pollinated variety.

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