The Southern Magnolia trees are starting to bloom. This is one of the smaller trees planted in a yard in our neighborhood just a few years ago and already it's about 15 feet tall and the flowers are about the size of a softball. These trees grow quickly and can live for over 100 years. They are evergreen trees that are found mostly in the southeastern U.S. (as far west as Texas). You can see that some of the leaves look brown. That's because they are starting to shed their large waxy leaves. The flowers can be as large as a dinner plate in diameter. In spite of thier size, the flowers are quite delicate and usually only last about 24 hours under the hot Southern sun. The center of the magnolia becomes a "fruit" filled with shiny, bright red seeds that are about the size and shape of a kidney bean.
