The neighbor across the back fence at the rancho has a towering magnolia whose big white blossoms we get to share even as the big pointed, oval leaves litter our yard from time to time.
"Magnolias are among the most ancient groups of flowering plants and have long been cultivated by mankind. Some specimens growing in the precincts of Chinese temples are estimated to be up to 800 years old."
I planted one once in South Austin. It was ten feet high and sprightly the last time I looked. I’m surprised to hear wild magnolias are facing extinctions in the forests of the world, including north America.
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 