Wandering through Gore Gardens on 25 January 2019, I noticed a magnolia flower. Looking more closely I observed three different flower phases in the part of the tree near to me. I was intrigued..
Scientific name: Magnolia grandiflora ‘Majestic Beauty’
Common name: ‘Majestic Beauty’ Southern Magnolia
Native to North America
Cellphone photos, enlarged through cropping
Flower
Bud
Bud again and only cropped at the bottom (to show the leaves)
After the petals have gone..
Again, including more stem in this version
Text and photos by Liz; Exploring Colour (2019)
Exploring Colour 
Stunning photos! Our magnolias (two – we had three, originally) are all in flower at the moment. One has the most gorgeous scent which I have to go out and sniff, often!
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Beautiful–I can almost smell them. . .
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Thank you Merril 🙂
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You’re welcome! 🙂
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So interesting to see the different stages of this gorgeous flower, Liz. Colorado’s winters are too harsh for this plant, I would need to travel east and south to see one in its native habitat.
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Magnolias do very well down here in the south of the South Island. Colorado’s winters would be too harsh for me too Tanja! I’m guessing that spring and autumn would be lovely seasons for someone like me to visit 🙂
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Actually, the winters along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains are not too harsh, Liz. Even though we get occasional blizzards, the snow usually melts fast, because of our intense and frequent sun (supposedly we have over 300 sunny days per annum!). But it is easier to get around in the summer and fall, and you could see all parts of the state more easily. Please let me know if (when) Nigel and you decide to check it out! 😊
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It’s nice to dream Tanja.. we’d love to! 🙂
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Wonderful magnolia!
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I find magnolia flowers really interesting. The best ones are amazingly beautiful!
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A lovely chronicle of the magnolia’s journey, Liz!
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It seemed very special at the time, to see all those things at once. Thanks Ellen!
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They are starting to bloom in the southern US. The ‘pineapple’ shaped buds are part of southern culture. Even local furniture has the symbol carved in the design.
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Oh that’s the reason! I’ve seen that shape occasionally in photos you’ve posted and wondered what the connection with pineapples is!
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Love magnolia trees! Didn’t appreciate them enough while we lived in Texas. In Indiana, we have a different type of magnolia tree that is pretty too but only blooms for a very short period of time at the beginning of spring. ❤️
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I noticed in the spring here in Gore that the most amazing fragrance was wafting around town from some of the magnolia trees.. very pleasant and rather heady!
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Sounds wonderful! 😊
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Beautiful photos! Seeing the spring-flowering magnolias here is making me want one…or maybe a summer one like the magnolia here. Space would be a problem!
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The info sheet I read stated it’s “probably best suited for large properties” but they did mention that with proper pruning it can be grown as an espalier. Got some free wall space? It’s a 1994 info sheet but very interesting to read at: http://hort.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/tree_fact_sheets/maggraf.pdf
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Hmm, think I need something smaller – but I can dream, hehe!
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Magnolias will soon be blooming in my area and I will have to check them out to see if I can observe all of the different phases of development that you displayed so beautifully in your photos, Liz. I am particularly drawn to the spiky buds that remain after the petals are gone.
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My day is starting well with reading your comment Mike! I loved finding the beauty that remains even after the showy petals have vanished 🙂
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One of my favorite flowers is called love-in-a-mist and it too has a great look after the petals are gone. Check out this posting to see what I mean.
https://michaelqpowell.com/2013/02/14/love-in-a-mist/
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Nigella which I’ve just dubbed the “Nigel” flower and made my OH smile. I grew these from seed in Queenstown years ago and enjoyed them very much. It was a “jewel” mix with various colours. I’ll go see your post.. thank you!
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