reproductive strategies

When spring comes, deciduous magnolias explode with a flower on each twig, while their fresh, light green leaves have to dig their way through all those overwhelming petals.

When spring comes, evergreen magnolias keep looking like the rest of the year, with their huge, glossy, thick, dark green canopies. But spring has come, and their handful of fragile flowers must be there, concealed by those overprotective leaves.

Ever since I was a child, spotting one has always been a rare and pleasing moment. It looked like we shared a secret, me and the tree.