One of my all time favourite flowers to paint.
A magnolia in full bloom is a magnificent flower.
Their petals are not fragile or papery; but instead hold a luxurious, weight to the touch, curving inward. Their colour isn’t a stark, clinical white, but a warm, decadent hue—the shade of fresh heavy cream, whipped milk, or warmed vanilla bean, often tinged at the very base with a blush of faint, dusty rose or bruised plum.
At the heart of these sprawling petals lies a dense, crown-like core. And the perfume it releases is a heavy, intoxicating perfume of sweet honey laced with sharp lemon zest and warm vanilla, thick enough to cling to the still, humid air.
So lovely. At university, my public health building had them planted along the sidewalk, they were probably 15 feet tall. I could smell the lemon across the parking lot.
Sorry I missed this comment Lyn! The citus smell mixed up in that sweet floral is unique, and so intoxicating, especially in the warm humid evenings.