The magnolia blossoms finally flourish in Obihiro. This marks that the cherry blossoms will soon be seen here in Hokkaido. As the northernmost part of Japan, the sakura flowers usually bloom in May after a very long winter.

The simplicity of the magnolia flowers might not be as marvelous as compared to the hypnotic aesthetics of the cherry blossoms, but it’s a lovely reminder that winter here in my place is finally over. The species existing here in my place is the Magnolia praecocissima var. borealis.

So in the celebration of the blooming magnolias, here are 3 amazing facts about this plant.

1. Magnolia has existed since the pre-historic times dating back to 95 million years ago during the late Mesozoic Era. It was actually believed that the plant appeared before bees have existed in the world, therefore the flowers have evolved to promote pollination by beetles.

2. Normal flowers have separate perianth parts, the calyx (sepals) and the corolla (petals). For magnolia, these parts are undifferentiated forming a tepal.

3. The flower has a strong presence in the very restrictive North Korea as the species Magnolia sieboldii was assigned as the country’s national flower. Locally called “mokran”, it might be chosen by North Korea because this species can thrive in difficult environments (as difficult as living in North Korea).