The Hazy days of summer, long rides down the Money Mississippi road, crop day,cotton row, shotgun houses, snow cones, and butter cookies from the Mr. Jacks corner store in Baptist town. There are a lot of things I remember from growing up in the Mississippi Delta; but my love for the magnolia flower is ever with me. The Mighty Magnolia….the Southern Magnolia that is…. a classy and majestic flowering tree. Strong is stature, evergreen, beautiful and demanding attention. This plant will always be one of the best parts of Mississippi to me.
The Magnolia is the state flower of Mississippi and Louisiana. The tree is well-loved for it fragrant blooms, heavy timber, and overall landscape beauty. The Magnolia tree also has a significant role in the social history of the south. In the 1800’s, a Magnolia tree outside of home in the south often indicated a safe haven for runaway slaves. A good account of this history can be heard by visiting the Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum in Memphis Tennessee. I already prized this plant, but to hear that it served a significant purpose in humanity just deepened the adoration.
Aint that sumtin y’all! ~ SouthernBee
SouthernCology 