Messy Magnolia

On the "border" between our house and the house to the north there is a large and mature Magnolia tree. It was probably planted when the house was first built, guessing by its size and its maturity, although I am certainly not an expert.
I had always associated Magnolia trees with the south, and indeed, Wikipedia mentions that the tree is the state tree for Mississippi. Wikipedia also mentions other interesting facts about the tree species, including that its age is older than the age of the existence of bees. The big, tough flowers are a evolutionary hold-over from when beetles used to chow down on the flowers and be the primary means for cross-tree fertilization.

As beautiful as the tree is, particularly when blooming, it, unfortunately, is a fairly messy beast. It is considered an evergreen, and the leaves remain green throughout the winter. But it almost always seems to be slowly shedding leaves, and apparently, is worst in times of high-growth, particularly the spring. According to various websites, including this on on Magnolia Questions, the growth of new leaves causes the "undergrowth" to shed.

So, this spring, we've raked up at least a couple of large lawn and leaf bags full of leaves. Our neighbors, who are still learning to operate their power mower, have taken to raking the leaves and mounting them around the base. Since the Magnolia leaves are so hearty and waxy, they don't quickly mulch or decompose. They stick around a long time.

So while the blooming Magnolia is quite pretty to look at, its a messy tree!