Have you been looking up from your steering wheel lately? As you are driving around, in a hurry / or too busy / on your phone/ distracted? Have you seen the large magnolia trees in town in bloom? Did you notice that this year they bloomed early, because of drought?? May through June is the standard blooming season for them, but I don’t ever recall seeing them bloom so early in April, but they have been blooming for weeks. These senior citizen trees proudly stand 40-50-60 feet high, dense with large shiny green leaves and dinner-plate-sized blossoms. These trees can range in age from 80-120 years; yet the oldest one is in Italy! documented @ 320-years old! The largest magnolia tree in the world is in Mississippi. This National Champion is 122- {“them sequoias ain’t got nuthin on me!” voice of Granny Clampett : declaring that! }- feet tall and over 5 feet in diameter. It is over 250 years old….{*would qualify for the Methuselah club!}. I wonder what the locals have nicknamed it with their botanical pride?... good-ole-boy (in the loyal sense of friendship, or your favorite male dog; but not in a racist way). … Champ… Green Giant… (or Giantess!) … the South ... Mellie [GWTW]… Maggie…The Boss…BIG Pearls...Goliath…The General… Queen of Smith County… If you could name it, what would you choose?... *I just made up the Methuselah club. Anyone can join if you are at least 250 years old. Methuselah lived to be 969 years old, [Genesis] but that’s really stretchin’ it. There are millions of plants, trees and animals over 250 years old. *
Magnolia Grandiflora (large flower) is the oldest (or one of) flowering trees on earth (the ginkgo is the oldest tree). Dating 95 million years ago from the cretaceous period. Can you imagine dinosaurs running, dueling underneath magnolia blossoms? seems so incongruous? Creamy thick white ovoid petals form a 6-12-petaled open cup with a center knob resembling yellow and red matchsticks. The petals are so thick that you can write your name on them with your fingernail. I betcha 100$ every artist who has ever lived (amateur and professional) has painted a magnolia! I have painted them in oils, acrylics, watercolors, and collage. I think everybody likes them and uses the artwork in their homes, and silk flowers too, even in churches. In the South magnolias can be found by courthouses, in cemeteries, in estate gardens, urban parks, historic sites, lining private driveways, city squares, government buildings, etc. Particularly popular beside courthouses, they represent endurance, stability, and perseverance: qualities often associated with government. (We hope!)
When we were kids, our family went to Washington. I do not remember going there (sadly) but we went to Thomas Jeffersons’s home, Monticello. I admire his brilliant mind, love of books, wine, nature, and good government, etc. Our dad picked up as many little shiny red seeds that he could find on the ground and brought them home. That winter he germinated them in little dirt pots in our family refrigerator. Hardly any room for food left in there! Then he had seedlings, which he grew into saplings until they were three feet tall. He saved 3- gallon food cans from the school cafeteria; maybe 25 of them, potted the saplings. After 4-5 years they were ready to give as 1965 Christmas gifts to his family and close friends. A large red bow was tied around each soup can. I did a calligraphy document- scroll explaining the history and provenance of the trees [ “Thomas Jefferson’s great-great-great grand-children” of his trees], even burned the edges to make them look old. Some people framed those. Many of Dr. Callaway’s trees are still scattered around town. I know the homes where they live.
When I was a single working girl in New York city, a few friends rented a room in Nancy Miller’s apartment. She was from Alabama; single mom needed income. I was impressed by this story. When her daughter was getting married in Boston! of all places she wanted magnolias at her wedding, but there were none to be had in Boston. So... Nancy cut, collected as many as she could fit into their family station wagon; probably just buds, packed them on ice, and drove from Alabama to Boston to have stunning (-IMPORTED-exotic- fragrant) fresh magnolias for that wedding. I know the northern guests were impressed! whispering (“Those southerners really do love that flower!”)
Steel Magnolias was a play, then a MOVIE. Sweet Magnolias is a TV series filmed right here in Covington. The magnolia is the official state flower of Louisiana and Mississippi [known as the Magnolia state; (state tree, as well)]. Didn’t I read that the Georgia legislature is booting the Cherokee rose as our state flower; to be replaced a native sweet bay magnolia? Covington’s own town square used to have two very large, 100+-year-old specimens. There is sadly one left now.
My brother told me this story. Virginia Hand of Pelham, Ga., was preparing to marry Cason Callaway in 1920. She told him, “I would like a string of pearls; {as a wedding gift} …do you know what kind”?... “No, he replied.” She wanted 100 magnolia trees planted around a circular driveway. [What a sight! When they bloomed…voila... she had her ‘string of pearls’! In 1952 they founded Callaway gardens, so you know…they know something about plants!
Carol Veliotis is a local columnist for The Covington News. She can be reached at carol.veliotis@gmail.com
