The Magnolia, And It's Guises

When we were in South Carolina last week.....Did I tell you that we went to South Carolina last week? We did. It was wonderful. Charleston is a beautiful town and I liked "The South" more than I thought I would although I'm still quite happy to be a Yankee girl.

We went down to visit my sister Lockbox. Isn't she cute? She's perky and be-curled and tans well and is generally four shades of darling.

Anyhow, all that to say....when we were in South Carolina, I had my first real encounter with the storied Southern Magnolia and I couldn't get over how striking it is. I feel like it's sort of an amazing Lego production...this stunning thing made out of all these curious parts. Check it out:

There's the breathtaking, (and scented I might add) blossoms and shining leaves....

 Then these funny centers that rise up out of the center of each blossom. Trippy, eh?

And the stamens which look exactly like a buch of strike anywhere matches scattered on the ground under the tree. I love the hilarious irony of that look-alike.

And then when the blossom finishes the petals fall and turn this beautiful fawn brown, and they look and feel exactly like suede leather! So crazy! A had to drag his wacky plant geek of a wife away from the tree. I could have looked at it for hours. I love the crazy bits of the outdoors.