Magnolia Denudata

This is a Magnolia denudata (also called the Yulan Magnolia or Lily Tree) that I photographed on the 17th March, I went back today, the 21st March, and the blossoms have more or less gone.

I keep wondering why Magnolias spends so much energy on making those big, showy petals that last just a few days.

Still, magnolias are an ancient genus, and fossilised specimens of Magnolia acuminata have been found dating back 20 million years.

So however strange their behaviour seems to me, magnolias have been doing it successfully for a long time.