Magnolia? More Like MagnOLDia!

I'm so sorry about that.

Truly.

I will probably do it again though.

Along with being showy and dramatic and amazing, they are also super interesting! Magnolia have been around for a really long time, we're talking like cretaceous. They're so ancient, in fact, that they evolved BEFORE bees. BEFORE BEES! So they're not actually pollinated by bees (or other traditional pollinators) at all, they're pollinated by beetles!

This is also what makes magnolia flowers so unique. Their petals are tough and kind of leathery, and the bud is designed to stand up to the bites of the beetles.

My nerd brain just loves stuff like this. Think about it, these trees have outlasted some major extinction events, including, you know, the freaking dinosaurs.

So, if you see beetles on your magnolia--leave them alone!!