Question: I am sorry that I am not in the New England area but the Midwest. I just want to ask …
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Question
I am sorry that I am not in the New England area but the Midwest. I just want to ask the Botanist what this structure is that my Magnolia tree has sprouted. In May this tree will flower white flowers, before the leaves. Then it may bloom a second time. This structure is red, and has a cover over it, like a bract. Then it exposes perhaps a pod. Are there seeds inside? Why do the seeds erupt without flowers?
Answer
Dear TcKoh, this structure (the entire thing) is the immature fruit (an aggregate of follicles). Each individual follicle does not develop synchronously with the others, so you get these odd, deformed looking fruits during the maturation phase. If you perform a web search using the search terms "magnolia soulangeana fruit" you'll find all kinds of these. Note, I'm not suggesting that is the identity of your Magnolia, only the images of this species shows the characteristic I'm trying to convey to you really well.
