The Magnolia is one of the world’s most ancient plants, going back millions of years to the earliest of the flowering trees. Beautiful pink, purple, and white flowers bloom across different parts of the world, creating a serene landscape wherever they grow. The reddish-brown fruit they produce, quite rare for a flowering plant, are cone-like in shape, containing seeds that resemble small kidneys. Their fragrances, much beloved, tend to have a gently sweet aroma with a touch of citrus.  One of the most fascinating and fun facts of the Magnolia flower is that its fragrance has been studied alongside Jasmine and been shown to activate parts of the brain that deal with memory, emotion and motivation, a mood booster you can grow right outside your own home!

Keep reading and you can find out the:

  • Origins of the Magnolia flower
  • Who is our friendly neighborhood Magnolia pollinator?
  • Cultural symbolism
  • Medicinal uses of the Magnolia
  • Culinary uses

Origins of the Magnolia flower

The Magnolia flower, named after the French botanist Pierre Magnol, has been around for as long as you could imagine, with fossils close to 20 million years old having been found. Growing not only in North America but also in Central and South America, as well as in parts of the orient. There are around 210 different species of Magnolia in the world. Unlike the more common sepals or petals found on many flowers, Magnolias have what are called tepals, a fusion of the two. The flowers are generally 3-12 inches in diameter and are protogynous, with the bud enclosed in a bract, another sign of its ancient heritage. Interestingly, the seeds of the plant can sometimes remain dormant for up to 20 years, putting a new meaning to the phrase “wait for the perfect moment.

Who is Our Friendly Neighborhood Magnolia Pollinator?

When asked what pollinates a Magnolia flower, most of us would answer with confidence that bees are the culprits. After all, bees pollinate everything! But in this instance, we would all be wrong. Due to its age, the Magnolia is pollinated by none other than beetles! Before bees ever came into existence, beetles were the pollinator masters of the world. Unfortunately, unlike the industrious bees we all know, beetles are not quite as efficient. The Magnolia flower does not produce nectar, only large quantities of pollen, and the beetles voraciously eat this pollen due to its high protein content, but due to their inefficient tactics and teeth, they tend to do quite a bit of damage to the flower. Luckily for the Magnolia, evolution kicked in and they have developed a tough, leathery exterior protected with wax to deal with the beetles’ lack of gentleness.

Cultural Symbolism

Magnolia flowers have been around for quite some time now and have grown their roots deep into cultures around the world. In South America, the white Magnolia has been used in bridal bouquets to symbolize the purity of the bride. The pink has been used on occasion to represent femininity and love, a subtle gift to send to those you care deeply for, while the purple, representing the dignity of the human spirit, can be sent to someone you respect. Beauty and nobility have been tied into the very fabric of the Magnolia flowers existence in our culture, the actual whys lost to time as many of these meanings do. States such as Louisiana and Mississippi have made the M. Grandiflora flower their state symbol. It is also the official flower of Shang Hai and North Korea.

Medicinal Uses

The Orient has been a source of wisdom in the medical field for close to a millennium. Chinese medicine has been using the Magnolia flower for hundreds of years to treat symptoms of anxiety. Although modern studies have yet to find definitive proof of its usefulness, with most of the studies having been done solely in labs, it continues to be used in the world for stress management, weight loss, to fight cancer through its anti-angiogenesis properties and even help with dental issues owing to its possible ability to kill bacteria in the mouth. Alongside its mood-boosting effects I mentioned earlier, the fragrance of Magnolia has even been shown to stimulate the arousal centers of the brain in women through hormone regulation, leading to possible use as a libido booster, always a fun fact!

Culinary Uses

In modern western culture, the use of flowers is not so common in the culinary scene. Most of us have a healthy respect for the use of common spices and herbs, but when is the last time you used a flower in your cooking outside of decoration? Yet many of the Magnolia flower species are edible. Pickled petals are used in parts of England as a spicy addition to meals. In parts of Asia, the picked buds are tossed in to add some zest to rice or add aroma to tea and in Japan, the youthful leaves and buds are used as vegetables. The wizened leaves are ground down to use as a seasoning, while whole leaves can be used as a bed and filled with vegetables and mushrooms, cooked into a delicate leafy sandwich of sorts. Never say you cannot use the Magnolia in the kitchen!

The Humble Magnolia

Whether you look at its myriad of uses culinarily, its possible medicinal uses and the host of others we may discover in the future, the Magnolia is a wonderful plant to behold.

For those looking to spruce up the outdoors of their home with a natural feel, the addition of a Magnolia flower could be exactly what you need. Perhaps the popular saucer magnolia, with its round, shade-giving flowers, the impressive atlas Magnolia, one of the largest flowers in the world! Or a smaller flower like the pinkie Magnolia, you can never go wrong with this ancient flowering tree. Being able to wake up to their vibrant colors and possibly pick out a flower to hand out to a dear friend you’re off to meet that day could be an awesome way to start the day, so don’t let the opportunity  pass you by to enjoy this beautiful flower.