Magnolia genus It is made up of trees and shrubs with spectacular flowers: large, with soft colors but very pretty., and with an intoxicating aroma. In addition to that, they are primitive plants, since they appeared about 100 million years ago.
This is an interesting fact, because we know that flowers and pollinating animals had a parallel evolution; not in vain, the two depend on each other: the first to produce seeds, and the second to feed. Next, what is the most common color of magnolia?
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flower color history
Although we might expect the first color to appear on Earth to be white, because without it there could be no other colors, a scientific study has revealed that it was in fact a bright pink. It is the one possessed by cyanobacteria, the first organisms capable of carrying out photosynthesis which lived in the oceans more than 3,500 million years ago.
About 485 million years ago, plants began to “come out” of the sea and conquer the Earth. First there were algae, then mosses, ferns, trees like the ginkgo bilobaand then, About 150 million years ago, the first flowering plants appeared, including the Magnolia.
Our protagonists began their evolution in a world where bees had not yet appeared, but beetles had. They are insects of remarkable strength, which is why magnolia flowers have developed sufficiently robust and attractive carpels for these insects.
Bees, insects that see the world in ultraviolet colors, will not appear until much later: about 30 million years ago. Therefore, until then, the flowers of magnolias would be white.
What is the most common color of magnolias?
The earliest magnolia fossils discovered date back approximately 100 million years. It is not known what color their flowers were at that time, but I would almost dare to say that they were white or white-pinkWell, those are the colors they have today.
The most common of all is undoubtedly white. Of the 120 species described to date, the vast majority have white flowers, or with a few white-pink petals, such as the following:
bare magnolia
Image – Wikimedia/A. Bar
The bare magnolia, also called Yulan or Yulan magnolia, is a deciduous tree native to China. It reaches 15 meters in height and branches a lot, even from the base. It has bright green oval leaves and gorgeous white flowers. These they grow at the end of winter, before the leaves, and they are also largereaching up to 16 centimeters in diameter.
Magnolia fraseri
Image – Wikimedia/Richtid
The Magnolia fraseri it is also deciduous. It is native to Appalachia, North America, and reaches a height of around 10 meters. It has dark green leaves, with a wavy shape, and they fall off in winter. Its flowers are white, up to 30 centimeters in diameter, and appear in spring. You could almost say that it is easy to manage with M. grandiflora, only that it is persistent.
magnolia grandiflora
Image – Wikimedia/SABENCIA Guillermo César Ruiz
The magnolia grandiflora, simply called magnolia or magnolia, is an evergreen tree native to North America, particularly the southeastern United States. As the temperatures are milder there, it does not need to drop all its leaves there. Of course, we are talking about a very large plant, which can reach 30 meters in height.
It has dark green leaves on the upper side and pubescent on the lower side. In spring, it produces white flowers, up to 20 centimeters in diameter, and very aromatic.
magnolia hodgsonii
Image – stories.rbge.org.uk
The magnolia mixnii It is an evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia, where in China it is called Gay lie mu. It reaches 15 meters in height and produces oval or oblong leaves that can reach 40 centimeters in length. The flowers are not as large as those of other magnolias, but still have a good size since they are about 15-20 centimeters in diameter..
magnolia kobus
Image – Wikimedia/Bruce Marlin
The magnolia kobus It is a deciduous tree native to Japan that reaches 20 meters in height. It is a plant of great beauty, which branches at a short distance from the ground, forming a wide, rounded and very elegant crown. Its flowers are white, up to 12 centimeters wide, and they are also fragrant. The only drawback is that its growth is very slow.
Magnolia pallescens
Image – Flickr/Karen
The Magnolia pallescens, or green ebony, is an evergreen tree endemic to the Dominican Republic. It reaches 19 meters in height and has obovate or circular dark green leaves. The flowers are white, up to 15 centimeters wide..
It is an endangered species because its wood is very resistant, which is why it is widely used in cabinetmaking. To prevent its disappearance, in 1989 the Ebano Verde Scientific Reserve of the Dominican Republic was created, which has an area of 23 square kilometers.
Magnolia sieboldii
Image – Wikimedia/Wendy Cutler
The Magnolia sieboldii, or Oyama magnolia, is a tree native to East Asia. It grows between 5 and 10 meters in height and has elliptical or oblong leaves of dark green color and a length of up to 25 centimeters. The flowers are white, up to 10 centimeters wide and pendulous. These grow in spring-summer. As a curious fact, add that it is the national flower of North Korea.
stellar magnolia
Image – Wikimedia/A. Bar
The stellar magnolia, called star magnolia, is a small tree-like deciduous shrub native to Japan that reaches 3 meters in height. The leaves are dark green above and slightly paler below, and are about 13 centimeters long. Like other species, it blooms at the end of winter. Its flowers measure about 10 centimeters in diameter, and are white, although they can sometimes be light pink.
virginia magnolia
Image – Wikimedia/JE Thériot
The virginia magnolia It is an evergreen or deciduous tree depending on the climate native to North America that reaches 30 meters in height. The leaves are elliptical, green in color and about 13 centimeters long. Its flowers are white, 14 centimeters wide, and they are said to smell of vanilla.
These are very beautiful trees, which in most cases have white flowers. Their growth rate being rather slow, it is possible to keep them in pots for a long season, or even their whole life if they are pruned regularly.