April 1, 2012 --- Magnolia macrophylla leaves

Lucy Coggin brought me the most wonderful gift this weekend--three unfurling Magnolia macrophylla leaves. Lucy grows this tree (also known as bigleaf magnolia) in her Richmond backyard, and she sometimes saves the fall leaves for me after they fall, because they are so big (up to 32 inches long and 12 inches wide) and gorgeous. Well, now I know they're gorgeous when unfurling in the spring, too. They look like something from the tropics, not a native North American tree.

Here's that same cluster of leaves up close.

And here are three unfurling leaves in all their wacky glory.