Mother Magnolia
36 x 60 acrylic on wood panel
A magnolia tree with purple finches and goldfinches, two of the many birds that magnolia trees support. Finches have strong beaks and consume the magnolias protein rich seeds. The magnolia maintains dense foliage through the winter when most trees are baren, this makes the magnolia prime shelter for birds and other small animals through the cold season. Magnolias truly are the mother of all flowers; they were the first angiosperms or flowering plants. They came on the scene about 95 million years ago before our more familiar bees and butterflies evolved. Magnolias were initially pollinated by beetles through a process, believe it or not, called “dumb pollination.” The beetles were and still are attracted to magnolias’ protein rich pollen and as they staggered through the magnolia flowers happily eating, some of the pollen stuck to their hairy legs and they carried it to different flowers. I think they’re being a little bit tough on the beetles with this title, other species also spread pollen about less elegantly that our bees and butterflies.
