sweet bay..

Spring is a rapidly changing period of our growing season. Though many plants begin to bloom that promise us a summer of color, many perennials and other plants only show their flowers for a few short weeks. Many of us are saying goodbye to the beautiful wysteria blooms and are soon to lose the spectacle of the beloved peony flowers. However, this transition brings many other flora into fruition.
In the past few days, we have entered the blooming period of Magnolia Virginiana, or Sweet Bay Magnolia.

A tree native to Virginia and very common in the southern U.S. as well as the northeast, it is not necessarily the most eye-catching of the Magnolia trees. Its creamy white blossoms tend to blend in with the pale green and slightly silver foliage. But what these trees lack in visual glamor, they easily make up for with their heady fragrance. This distinct and very pleasing scent is an aromatic gift to any enjoyer of the outdoors.
One interesting botanical tidbit about Magnolia trees is that they do not really have petals, or bud covers called ‘sepals.‘ Sepals are seen commonly on dandelions or pansies (as well as many, many other flowers). They are the little buds you see protecting the new blossoms before the plant shows it colors. Magnolias’ bud covers are simply the flower in its closed form which gradually open This is also the case with tulips. As opposed to ‘sepals,’ leading botanists have declared these blooms ‘tepals.’
As is usually the case, we share our attraction to this plant with many other living species.

The Tiger Swallowtails butterfly utilizes the Sweet Bay Magnolia as a host plant, enjoying the fragrance as much as we do.
Now to bring it back to booze news, this butterfly occasionally enjoys the Hops Tree as a host plant.

This is a small shrub or tree in the Rutacae, or citrus family, whose range covers many different areas of the U.S. No, it is not the traditional hops used in brewing beer but in the past, the Hops Tree was used as a substitute in brewing if the regular hops was not readily available.
Springtime is soon to come to an end, so don’t forget to absorb all the sensual pleasure it offers. Get out there and, as they say, smell the roses. Seriously, you should, it has been a terrific year for roses thus far! How are yours doing?