Budding magnolias
Magnolias are celebrated for their breathtaking flowers, starry or chalice-shaped, which adorn their branches during spring. We only have two in the garden but it’s one of them, the Magnolia stellata close to the house, that we see a lot of. Although it’s spectacular when in full flower, and on a sunny day fills the air with sweet perfume, it’s notable every day of the year. Right now it’s probably the velvety buds that encase this spring’s flowers and the shaggy blue-grey lichen that covers every branch and twig, which entrance.
Some folk become very concerned about lichen on their shrubs and trees. Lichens do no harm, far from it, they’re a sign of clean air and are used in some surveys to indicate levels of air pollution. I learned recently that lichens are the manifestation of a relationship between two organisms, a fungi and an algae.