Why are Magnolia so special?
In one of our favourite displays of nature’s incredible resilience, were in magnolia season; a time of late winter and early spring beauty and delicate whimsy that brings our shop, our streets and our yards to life with explosions of broad petals that could be mistaken for sheets of the loveliest porcelain. Magnolia is a favourite not only because it’s undeniably beautiful, but because it carries with it an awe-inspiring ancient history. When the trees lose their leaves, and start to burst with fuzzy little buds, we all wait with bated breath for those petals to start springing out, and before we know it, we are surrounded by what could be mistaken for swarms of fairies or butterflies - fluttering in the winter breeze, and reawakening a story that goes back upwards of 90 million years. Originating throughout Asia, the Magnolia tree is older than the bees, older than most modern flowering plants, older than human life - the lineage of this incredible tree goes all the way back to the time in which dinosaurs still walked the earth. It’s curious to imagine a flower that existed before bees were around to pollinate them - what an astounding life these flowers have led! In their early iterations, magnolias relied on beetles to pollinate them - their sturdy and open form allowing for these larger insects to crawl inside without damaging the petals. To think that even the tread of a beetle’s tiny feet might be a threat to a smaller and more delicate flower, but that the magnolia has tolerated tens of millions of years worth of everything the natural world has thrown at it; from little beetles to endless shifts in climate and ecosystems. Symbolising purity, dignity and perseverance, watching these flowers unfurl from their branches is to witness something that feels almost untouchable in its enduring connection to the earth.Using these iconic flowers in our arrangements is an opportunity to pay homage to the many eras of natural beauty that have landed us here - everything that has come before has brought us to today’s beautiful magnolia varieties; brimming with exquisite history and petals like open wings.
