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Music video by Marc Anthony performing You Sang To Me. (C) 1999 Sony BMG Music Entertainment.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Question by : African american women, what type of makeup should I use?
Based on your experience with makeup, what should I use and not use? Do’s and don’ts. Any advice is fine (: I’m 17 and I just started learning about makeup. I won’t be wearing it religiously but I need beauty tips please.

Best answer:

Answer by Abbie Gerrard
Black, glitter eyeshadow. Go for darker colours. Typing it in on google and you will get some good results! Sorry im not much of a help! Good luck with it all!! x

Add your own answer in the comments!

Question by Melissa: How can I get better skin?
I take really good care of my skin but i still get the occasional pimple and a few blemishes and its uneven. Are there any beauty tips or excersises (steaming my face) i can do to help?~THANK-YOU

Best answer:

Answer by sk4nk_f4c3
A good skincare plan. Cleanse tone and moisturise daily. Exfoliate and mask once a week. Good excercise to improve circulation, plenty of water, at least 8 hours sleep and a good, balanced diet. Also, this acne may be down to hormones.

Add your own answer in the comments!

http://bit.ly/free-acne-tips4all Hi I am a 17 years old teen,acne was the biggest problem in my life but know I learned how to remove acne by these free tips. so you also can use this acne…
Video Rating: 0 / 5

http://bit.ly/free-acne-tips4all Hi I am a 17 years old teen,acne was the biggest problem in my life but know I learned how to remove acne by these free tips. so you also can use this acne…
Video Rating: 0 / 5

A few nice beauty tips images I found:

One of the coolest things I own.

Image by Fuschia Foot
I got these out of a house in 2003. Here’s the original blog post talking about where I got them from June 28th, 2003:

The most hilarious thing to ever happen to me occured yesterday.

Adam’s dad, as I may have mentioned, is a private detective. He also does other things aside from watch people–such as, watch houses. He was hired to watch a house on the north side. An 86-year-old woman had lived there up until her death. She left no heirs, and the bank doesn’t want anyone tampering with it while it’s being sold. She deemed all of her valuables to be auctioned off and her house sold, the proceeds going to a cat charity.

Before it could even be considered sellable, they had to clean it out. Apparently, this woman was a total packrat–she merely had tunnels to walk through her house because stuff was piled up so high. The bank sent someone through earlier this week to weed out any valuables they could auction off. They left behind everything else that wasn’t really worth too much to them.

So, Adam’s dad was given the keys to check in on the house–and permission that if he sees anything in the house that he wants, he can simply take it. The bank is through with it, and they’re sending a cleanup guy through to literally sweep everything into a pile and haul it all out to a dumpster.

Adam and I *jumped* at this chance to explore someone’s house and dig through old stuff. He wasn’t really into this until he met me, but now he’s caught the bug. We went through the house on Thursday evening with his dad to simply scope it out. There was a first floor, an attic, and a basement. I thought the woman had been dead some time, but she apparently just lived that way–the kitchen was pretty gross, and she had a major mouse infestation. Every surface was covered with mouse droppings. I think the sense of adventure toned down the gross factor, because it never even phased me.

We vowed to go back Friday and clean out the house of everything we wanted. Adam and I went there early Friday morning with my parent’s big van–I actually drove it on the expressway, which was pretty interesting. Nothing bad happened. We sorted through a bunch of cool stuff in the attic. Adam’s dad was out for money… he said to pick up anything you could sell on EBay and then take whatever we wanted. Well, I wanted everything! When I see something interesting that’s old and unique, I want it for myself. Why would I want to make some huge profit?

I found an old box full of old medicine bottles with hand-made labels like "Dose-1 teaspoon" and a bunch of old makeup from the 30s and 40s that still had stuff inside. Beauty cream called "chatterbox", old lipsticks, everything. I got a whole stack of Life magazines from ’46-’48 in mint condition. Those are things I want to *keep*. Adam found tampons that were REALLY old, which I found interesting and decided to keep also. When I was going through a drawer, I found these itsy bitsy cardboard boxes… I couldn’t think of what they were. They said "prophylactics" but it just wasn’t clicking. So I say to Adam, "What’s a prohylactic?" and he goes "Rachel. It’s a condom."

I tossed the box away from me instantly and started laughing. They were really old condoms, probably from the 60s. I took a little box that was still shrink-wrapped. They were little individual cardboard boxes with three condoms apiece, and the package said "meant only to prevent disease". Lovely. Anyway… so the basic theme is, if it’s everyday interesting, I enjoy it. Adam and I went to an antiques mall on Monday, and I commented that when I have my own house, I want it to be like stepping back in time–a functioning museum that you can actually touch. After all of my finds yesterday, I said we should have a special half bath set aside with all the "correct" things in it from the period, including the tampons and the condoms. :o)

On to the funniest, most embarassing moment of my life (thus far). Adam and I were on the back porch. There was a cute tiny dresser covered with some pieces of countertop. We decided we liked the dresser, so we took all the pieces of countertop off of it. I decided I would be the one to empty out the drawers. At one point the drawers were filled with pieces of paper but are now shredded to confetti by miscellaneous rodents. I was just dumping out the paper onto the ground.

The first drawer went okay. The second drawer was the doozy. Adam was standing right behind me as I tipped the drawer and shook out the paper. The next thing we knew, we were listening to the most horrible sound. Kind of like a cat meowing, but in horrible, utter pain, and a moan… it was just disgusting. It freaked me out, so I simply dropped the drawer. My plan was to then turn and leave the room, quickly, and head to the front of the house.

Adam had other plans.

He took off running with the most comically terrifed expression I have ever seen. However, instead of simply sprinting out of the room, he took me with him. As he turned to leave, he grabbed my arm. I was running along to keep up with him, but he has really long legs and mine just don’t compare. Not only this, but I couldn’t get any traction on the linoleum floor, and my gym shoes simply slid across the surface as I was dragged.

I kept yelling, "Adam, slow down! Let go! I’m falling!" But he wouldn’t listen. He whipped me around the corner into the kitchen, and that’s where I fell. I’m lucky that I didn’t crack my head on somethig–the kitchen has all metal cabinets, plus a coffee table piled with stuff including glass and ceramics (this woman was a ceramics maker… her basement is filled with ceramic molds, but nobody wants them, so they’re all getting demolished). I managed to land on the icky floor between the cabinet and the coffee table. Then it occured to me that my bare ass was sitting on the floor.

My pants had ripped in the fall. But not just ANY rip… not even a SEAM rip. My pants had ripped from the waistband to my thigh right square in the center of my left ass cheek. I was wearing a thong and now showing my ass to everyone. LOVELY. I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe. When I showed Adam, he laughed like I’ve never heard him laugh before. He gave me about five paper towels and I held them over the ridiculous tear. Then I realized I had put my old twin-sized sheets in the big van, so Adam retrieved the bag. I didn’t want to wear a white Twister sheet or a flannel sheet, so I selected a purple sheet with white clouds to tie around my waist, jeans and all. It was quite a sight.

But the funniest thing is (and this is where everyone laughs the hardest, where the "punchline" is)….

It was a fitted sheet. I was walking around like a ridiculous moron in a fitted sheet. Ugh. Anyway… Adam and I ventured down the side of the house, only to hear the horrible noise again, so we took off running. Turns out it was Eric, Adam’s brother, freaking us out. It wasn’t him originally, so we still were afraid of the noise and never went back to the room.

Adam went back there today. He was brave and inspected the drawer again. Turns out the noise was a little cylindrical voicebox… the kind when you turn it upside down, it makes a noise. Apparently, this was a sick cow moo. Ugh. But at least I’m not wearing the fitted sheet anymore.

egg ornaments.

Image by Fuschia Foot
I got these eggs out of a house back in 2003. Here’s the original blog post from June 28th, 2003, talking about the house these came from:

The most hilarious thing to ever happen to me occured yesterday.

Adam’s dad, as I may have mentioned, is a private detective. He also does other things aside from watch people–such as, watch houses. He was hired to watch a house on the north side. An 86-year-old woman had lived there up until her death. She left no heirs, and the bank doesn’t want anyone tampering with it while it’s being sold. She deemed all of her valuables to be auctioned off and her house sold, the proceeds going to a cat charity.

Before it could even be considered sellable, they had to clean it out. Apparently, this woman was a total packrat–she merely had tunnels to walk through her house because stuff was piled up so high. The bank sent someone through earlier this week to weed out any valuables they could auction off. They left behind everything else that wasn’t really worth too much to them.

So, Adam’s dad was given the keys to check in on the house–and permission that if he sees anything in the house that he wants, he can simply take it. The bank is through with it, and they’re sending a cleanup guy through to literally sweep everything into a pile and haul it all out to a dumpster.

Adam and I *jumped* at this chance to explore someone’s house and dig through old stuff. He wasn’t really into this until he met me, but now he’s caught the bug. We went through the house on Thursday evening with his dad to simply scope it out. There was a first floor, an attic, and a basement. I thought the woman had been dead some time, but she apparently just lived that way–the kitchen was pretty gross, and she had a major mouse infestation. Every surface was covered with mouse droppings. I think the sense of adventure toned down the gross factor, because it never even phased me.

We vowed to go back Friday and clean out the house of everything we wanted. Adam and I went there early Friday morning with my parent’s big van–I actually drove it on the expressway, which was pretty interesting. Nothing bad happened. We sorted through a bunch of cool stuff in the attic. Adam’s dad was out for money… he said to pick up anything you could sell on EBay and then take whatever we wanted. Well, I wanted everything! When I see something interesting that’s old and unique, I want it for myself. Why would I want to make some huge profit?

I found an old box full of old medicine bottles with hand-made labels like "Dose-1 teaspoon" and a bunch of old makeup from the 30s and 40s that still had stuff inside. Beauty cream called "chatterbox", old lipsticks, everything. I got a whole stack of Life magazines from ’46-’48 in mint condition. Those are things I want to *keep*. Adam found tampons that were REALLY old, which I found interesting and decided to keep also. When I was going through a drawer, I found these itsy bitsy cardboard boxes… I couldn’t think of what they were. They said "prophylactics" but it just wasn’t clicking. So I say to Adam, "What’s a prohylactic?" and he goes "Rachel. It’s a condom."

I tossed the box away from me instantly and started laughing. They were really old condoms, probably from the 60s. I took a little box that was still shrink-wrapped. They were little individual cardboard boxes with three condoms apiece, and the package said "meant only to prevent disease". Lovely. Anyway… so the basic theme is, if it’s everyday interesting, I enjoy it. Adam and I went to an antiques mall on Monday, and I commented that when I have my own house, I want it to be like stepping back in time–a functioning museum that you can actually touch. After all of my finds yesterday, I said we should have a special half bath set aside with all the "correct" things in it from the period, including the tampons and the condoms. :o)

On to the funniest, most embarassing moment of my life (thus far). Adam and I were on the back porch. There was a cute tiny dresser covered with some pieces of countertop. We decided we liked the dresser, so we took all the pieces of countertop off of it. I decided I would be the one to empty out the drawers. At one point the drawers were filled with pieces of paper but are now shredded to confetti by miscellaneous rodents. I was just dumping out the paper onto the ground.

The first drawer went okay. The second drawer was the doozy. Adam was standing right behind me as I tipped the drawer and shook out the paper. The next thing we knew, we were listening to the most horrible sound. Kind of like a cat meowing, but in horrible, utter pain, and a moan… it was just disgusting. It freaked me out, so I simply dropped the drawer. My plan was to then turn and leave the room, quickly, and head to the front of the house.

Adam had other plans.

He took off running with the most comically terrifed expression I have ever seen. However, instead of simply sprinting out of the room, he took me with him. As he turned to leave, he grabbed my arm. I was running along to keep up with him, but he has really long legs and mine just don’t compare. Not only this, but I couldn’t get any traction on the linoleum floor, and my gym shoes simply slid across the surface as I was dragged.

I kept yelling, "Adam, slow down! Let go! I’m falling!" But he wouldn’t listen. He whipped me around the corner into the kitchen, and that’s where I fell. I’m lucky that I didn’t crack my head on somethig–the kitchen has all metal cabinets, plus a coffee table piled with stuff including glass and ceramics (this woman was a ceramics maker… her basement is filled with ceramic molds, but nobody wants them, so they’re all getting demolished). I managed to land on the icky floor between the cabinet and the coffee table. Then it occured to me that my bare ass was sitting on the floor.

My pants had ripped in the fall. But not just ANY rip… not even a SEAM rip. My pants had ripped from the waistband to my thigh right square in the center of my left ass cheek. I was wearing a thong and now showing my ass to everyone. LOVELY. I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe. When I showed Adam, he laughed like I’ve never heard him laugh before. He gave me about five paper towels and I held them over the ridiculous tear. Then I realized I had put my old twin-sized sheets in the big van, so Adam retrieved the bag. I didn’t want to wear a white Twister sheet or a flannel sheet, so I selected a purple sheet with white clouds to tie around my waist, jeans and all. It was quite a sight.

But the funniest thing is (and this is where everyone laughs the hardest, where the "punchline" is)….

It was a fitted sheet. I was walking around like a ridiculous moron in a fitted sheet. Ugh. Anyway… Adam and I ventured down the side of the house, only to hear the horrible noise again, so we took off running. Turns out it was Eric, Adam’s brother, freaking us out. It wasn’t him originally, so we still were afraid of the noise and never went back to the room.

Adam went back there today. He was brave and inspected the drawer again. Turns out the noise was a little cylindrical voicebox… the kind when you turn it upside down, it makes a noise. Apparently, this was a sick cow moo. Ugh. But at least I’m not wearing the fitted sheet anymore.

egg ornaments.

Image by Fuschia Foot
I got these eggs out of a house back in 2003. Here’s the original blog post from June 28th, 2003, talking about the house these came from:

The most hilarious thing to ever happen to me occured yesterday.

Adam’s dad, as I may have mentioned, is a private detective. He also does other things aside from watch people–such as, watch houses. He was hired to watch a house on the north side. An 86-year-old woman had lived there up until her death. She left no heirs, and the bank doesn’t want anyone tampering with it while it’s being sold. She deemed all of her valuables to be auctioned off and her house sold, the proceeds going to a cat charity.

Before it could even be considered sellable, they had to clean it out. Apparently, this woman was a total packrat–she merely had tunnels to walk through her house because stuff was piled up so high. The bank sent someone through earlier this week to weed out any valuables they could auction off. They left behind everything else that wasn’t really worth too much to them.

So, Adam’s dad was given the keys to check in on the house–and permission that if he sees anything in the house that he wants, he can simply take it. The bank is through with it, and they’re sending a cleanup guy through to literally sweep everything into a pile and haul it all out to a dumpster.

Adam and I *jumped* at this chance to explore someone’s house and dig through old stuff. He wasn’t really into this until he met me, but now he’s caught the bug. We went through the house on Thursday evening with his dad to simply scope it out. There was a first floor, an attic, and a basement. I thought the woman had been dead some time, but she apparently just lived that way–the kitchen was pretty gross, and she had a major mouse infestation. Every surface was covered with mouse droppings. I think the sense of adventure toned down the gross factor, because it never even phased me.

We vowed to go back Friday and clean out the house of everything we wanted. Adam and I went there early Friday morning with my parent’s big van–I actually drove it on the expressway, which was pretty interesting. Nothing bad happened. We sorted through a bunch of cool stuff in the attic. Adam’s dad was out for money… he said to pick up anything you could sell on EBay and then take whatever we wanted. Well, I wanted everything! When I see something interesting that’s old and unique, I want it for myself. Why would I want to make some huge profit?

I found an old box full of old medicine bottles with hand-made labels like "Dose-1 teaspoon" and a bunch of old makeup from the 30s and 40s that still had stuff inside. Beauty cream called "chatterbox", old lipsticks, everything. I got a whole stack of Life magazines from ’46-’48 in mint condition. Those are things I want to *keep*. Adam found tampons that were REALLY old, which I found interesting and decided to keep also. When I was going through a drawer, I found these itsy bitsy cardboard boxes… I couldn’t think of what they were. They said "prophylactics" but it just wasn’t clicking. So I say to Adam, "What’s a prohylactic?" and he goes "Rachel. It’s a condom."

I tossed the box away from me instantly and started laughing. They were really old condoms, probably from the 60s. I took a little box that was still shrink-wrapped. They were little individual cardboard boxes with three condoms apiece, and the package said "meant only to prevent disease". Lovely. Anyway… so the basic theme is, if it’s everyday interesting, I enjoy it. Adam and I went to an antiques mall on Monday, and I commented that when I have my own house, I want it to be like stepping back in time–a functioning museum that you can actually touch. After all of my finds yesterday, I said we should have a special half bath set aside with all the "correct" things in it from the period, including the tampons and the condoms. :o)

On to the funniest, most embarassing moment of my life (thus far). Adam and I were on the back porch. There was a cute tiny dresser covered with some pieces of countertop. We decided we liked the dresser, so we took all the pieces of countertop off of it. I decided I would be the one to empty out the drawers. At one point the drawers were filled with pieces of paper but are now shredded to confetti by miscellaneous rodents. I was just dumping out the paper onto the ground.

The first drawer went okay. The second drawer was the doozy. Adam was standing right behind me as I tipped the drawer and shook out the paper. The next thing we knew, we were listening to the most horrible sound. Kind of like a cat meowing, but in horrible, utter pain, and a moan… it was just disgusting. It freaked me out, so I simply dropped the drawer. My plan was to then turn and leave the room, quickly, and head to the front of the house.

Adam had other plans.

He took off running with the most comically terrifed expression I have ever seen. However, instead of simply sprinting out of the room, he took me with him. As he turned to leave, he grabbed my arm. I was running along to keep up with him, but he has really long legs and mine just don’t compare. Not only this, but I couldn’t get any traction on the linoleum floor, and my gym shoes simply slid across the surface as I was dragged.

I kept yelling, "Adam, slow down! Let go! I’m falling!" But he wouldn’t listen. He whipped me around the corner into the kitchen, and that’s where I fell. I’m lucky that I didn’t crack my head on somethig–the kitchen has all metal cabinets, plus a coffee table piled with stuff including glass and ceramics (this woman was a ceramics maker… her basement is filled with ceramic molds, but nobody wants them, so they’re all getting demolished). I managed to land on the icky floor between the cabinet and the coffee table. Then it occured to me that my bare ass was sitting on the floor.

My pants had ripped in the fall. But not just ANY rip… not even a SEAM rip. My pants had ripped from the waistband to my thigh right square in the center of my left ass cheek. I was wearing a thong and now showing my ass to everyone. LOVELY. I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe. When I showed Adam, he laughed like I’ve never heard him laugh before. He gave me about five paper towels and I held them over the ridiculous tear. Then I realized I had put my old twin-sized sheets in the big van, so Adam retrieved the bag. I didn’t want to wear a white Twister sheet or a flannel sheet, so I selected a purple sheet with white clouds to tie around my waist, jeans and all. It was quite a sight.

But the funniest thing is (and this is where everyone laughs the hardest, where the "punchline" is)….

It was a fitted sheet. I was walking around like a ridiculous moron in a fitted sheet. Ugh. Anyway… Adam and I ventured down the side of the house, only to hear the horrible noise again, so we took off running. Turns out it was Eric, Adam’s brother, freaking us out. It wasn’t him originally, so we still were afraid of the noise and never went back to the room.

Adam went back there today. He was brave and inspected the drawer again. Turns out the noise was a little cylindrical voicebox… the kind when you turn it upside down, it makes a noise. Apparently, this was a sick cow moo. Ugh. But at least I’m not wearing the fitted sheet anymore.

by the justified sinner

Question by Kylie: How to get rid of acne scars?
I am acne prone. My face and back had cleared up though. YAY! Now I just need a solution to my scars. Any gels, creams, or washes to help scars fade? Thanks!

Best answer:

Answer by IRRELIGIOUS
ACNE is an embarrassing and burdensome problem to many and especially to teenagers. It is easy to feel that you don’t have control over your breakouts. But the fact is, you do. Now, your first response may be to assume that I’m going to recommend you see your dermatologist. Well, think again. Natural remedies can be just as effective as medications, possibly more powerful. Sometimes, all your body needs is the right nutritional balance and proper skin care. Here are some easy things you can start doing today to help you heal your acne. You should notice a difference in about 4 weeks.
Apply a honey mask to your face once or twice a week – Honey has antibacterial properties & so it is great for disinfecting and healing minor blemishes. It is also gentle on sensitive skin.
Wash twice a day with acne soap – You should wash your face twice a day with a sulphur based soap designed for acne. Once when you first wake up in the morning and then, right before you go to bed at night. Be extremely gentle to your skin when washing – do not scrub or use any sort of rough cloth. Over washing your skin will actually stimulate your sebaceous glands to produce more sebum, thus increasing your acne.
Keep your hair off your face – If you have long hair or bangs, pull your hair off your face. Your hair contains oils as well, and will contribute to your breakouts. You’ll also want to wash your hair everyday and after workouts.
Take a potent multi-vitamin – Acne can be a sign that something is wrong on the inside. Your skin depends on nutrition. It is a vital organ that is usually neglected. If your body is not receiving the right nutrition, it will fight back. One common way it will rebel is to produce excessive sebum, clogging pores, and reducing the ability for your skin to heal and fight bacteria.
Include chromium in your diet – Chromium is well known for weight loss diets. But it is also excellent for healing infections on the skin. Taking a chromium supplement once a day will help heal your pimples quickly and prevent future breakouts.
Eat carrots for beta-carotene (Vitamin A) – Vitamin A strengthens the protective tissue of the skin and actually prevents acne. It helps reduce sebum production. This vitamin is essential for the maintenance and repair of the tissue which the skin and mucous membranes are made of. Vitamin A is also a powerful antioxidant needed to rid your body of toxins. Did you know that a deficiency in vitamin A can actually cause acne?
Avoid wearing makeup – Leaving makeup products on your skin only contributes to clogging your pores, causing more pimples and blackheads. If you feel you must wear makeup, be sure it is water-based.
Do not pick or squeeze your blackheads and pimples – As tempting as it may be, do not squeeze, scratch, rub or touch your pimples and blackheads. Do any of these actions, actually increases the sebum production. Plus, when you squeeze, you are actually rupturing the membranes below your skin, causing infection and sebum to spread underneath your skin. The result is more pimples.
Wash your pillow case every other day – Your face lays on your pillow case every day. Your pillow case absorbs the oils from your skin and reapplies the dirt and oil. Thus causing breakouts. Keep your sheets and pillow cases clean.
Eat foods rich in zinc – Zinc is an antibacterial agent and a necessary element in the oil-producing glands of the skin. A diet low in zinc can actually cause acne breakouts.
By far the most common teen-age skin disorder, acne usually begins at puberty, at a time when oil glands in the skin enlarge and increase the production of skin oil (sebum). This occurs as a result of rising hormones during adolescence. Ranging from simple pimples to angry boils, these unsightly blemishes that fall under the general heading of acne, will plague 9 out of 10 pubertal youngsters; an age when physical attractiveness becomes so important.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Check out these beauty tips images:

Southern Magnolia, Bullbay, Magnolia grandiflora ….#8

Image by Vietnam Plants & The USA. plants
Taken on May 28, 2012 in Waco city, Texas state, Southern of America .

Vietnamese named : Hoa Mộc Lan
Common names : Southern Magnolia, Bullbay.
Scientist name : Magnolia grandiflora L
Synonyms :
Family : Magnoliaceae- Magnolia family. Họ Mộc Lan

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Magnoliidae
Order: Magnoliales
Family: Magnoliaceae – Magnolia family
Genus: Magnolia L. – magnolia
Species: Magnolia grandiflora L. – southern magnolia

**** plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=magr4

**** en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_grandiflora

Magnolia grandiflora, commonly known as the southern magnolia or bull bay, is a tree of the family Magnoliaceae native to the southeastern United States, from Virginia south to central Florida, and west to eastern Texas and Oklahoma. Reaching 27.5 m (90 ft) in height, it is a large striking evergreen tree with large dark green leaves and large white fragrant flowers. Widely cultivated around the world, over a hundred cultivars have been bred and marketed commercially. The timber is hard and heavy, and has been used commercially to make furniture, pallets, and veneer.

Description

Magnolia grandiflora is a medium to large evergreen tree which may grow 27.5 m (90 ft) tall.[1] It typically has a single stem (or trunk) and a pyramidal shape.[2] The leaves are simple and broadly ovate, 12–20 cm (5–8 in) long and 6–12 cm (2–5 in) broad,[2] with smooth margins. They are dark green, stiff and leathery, and often scurfy underneath with yellow-brown pubescence. The large, showy, lemon citronella-scented flowers are white, up to 30 cm (12 in) across and fragrant, with 6–12 petals with a waxy texture, emerging from the tips of twigs on mature trees in late spring. Flowering is followed by the rose-coloured fruit, ovoid and 7.5–10 cm (3–4 in) long and 3–5 cm (1.5–2 in) wide.[3]
Exceptionally large trees recorded include a 35 m (114 ft) high specimen from the Chickasawhay District, De Soto National Forest in Mississippi which measured 17 feet 8 inches in circumference at breast height, from 1961, and a 30 m (99 ft) tall tree from Baton Rouge in Louisiana which reached 18 feet in circumference at breast height

Taxonomy

Magnolia grandiflora was one of the many species first described by Linnaeus in his Systema Naturae in 1759, basing his description on the earlier notes of Miller. He did not select a type specimen. Its specific epithet is derived from the Latin words grandis "big", and flor- "flower".[4]
Magnolia grandiflora is most commonly known as Southern magnolia, a name derived from its range in the Southern United States. Many broadleaved evergreen trees are known as bays for their resemblance to the leaves of the red bay (Persea borbonia), with this species known as the bull bay for its huge size or alternately because cattle have been reported eating its leaves. Laurel magnolia,[4] evergreen magnolia,[3] large-flower magnolia or big laurel are alternate names.[5] The timber is known simply as magn

Distribution and habitat

Magnolia grandiflora is native to the southeastern United States, from Virginia south to central Florida, and then west to eastern Texas and Oklahoma. It is found on the edges of bodies of water and swamps, in association with sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), water oak (Quercus nigra), and black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica). In more sheltered habitats, it grows as a large tree, but can be a low shrub when found on coastal dunes.[6] It is killed by summer fires, and is missing from habitats that undergo regular burning.[7] In Florida it is found in a number of different ecological areas that are typically shady and have well draining soils, it is also found in hummocks, along ravines, on slopes, and wooded floodplains.[8] Despite preferring sites with increased moisture, it does not tolerate inundation.[3] It grows on sand-hills in maritime forests, where it is found growing with live oaks and saw palmetto.[7] In the eastern United States it has become an escape, and has become naturalized in the tidewater area of Virginia and locally in other areas outside of its historically natural range

Ecology
Magnolia grandiflora can produce seed by 10 years of age, although peak seed production is achieved closer to 25 years of age. Around 50% of seed can germinate, and is spread by birds and mammals.[3] Squirrels, opossums, quail, and turkey are known to eat the seeds

Cultivation and uses

The plant collector Mark Catesby, the first in North America, brought Magnolia grandiflora to Britain in 1726, where it entered cultivation and overshadowed M. virginiana which had been collected a few years earlier. It had also come to France, the French having collected it in the vicinity of the Mississippi River in Louisiana.[11] It was glowingly described by Philip Miller in his 1731 work The Gardeners’ Dictionary.[12] One of the earliest people to cultivate it in Europe was Sir John Colliton of Exeter in Devon; scaffolding and tubs surrounded his tree, where gardeners propagated its branches by layering, the daughter plants initially selling for five guineas each (but later falling to half a guinea).[12]

Southern magnolia is a very popular ornamental tree throughout the southeastern United States and California, grown for its attractive shiny green leaves and fragrant flowers. It is also grown in Central and South America as well as parts of Asia.[4]
It is often planted in university campuses and allowed to grow into a large tree, either with dependent branches, or with the lower branches removed to display the bare trunks. It is also espaliered against walls, which improves its frost-hardiness.[4]
On the east coast of the United States, cold-hardy cultivars have been seen planted up to and even north of the Ohio River, where large tree specimens become increasingly rare and eventually are only found as shrubs before disappearing altogether from the landscape; for example, large mature trees are common in the Cincinnati, Ohio area but begin to taper off in size and occurrence until they are generally absent altogether in Columbus, Ohio. This "subtropical indicator" tree is seen in some gardens as far north as southern Connecticut, southeastern New York and Cape Cod; farther north in New England it is extremely difficult to cultivate. Towards the northern limit of its cultivation, it may suffer dieback from very hard freezes, but weathers normal freezes well.
On the west coast it can be grown as far north as British Columbia.[4]
It is recommended for seashore plantings in areas that are windy but have little salt spray.[13] The foliage will bronze, blotch, and burn in severe winters at the northern limits of cultivation, especially when grown in full winter sun[14] but most leaves remain until they are replaced by new foliage in the spring. In climates where the ground freezes, winter sun appears to do more damage than the cold itself. In the northern hemisphere the south side of the tree will experience more leaf damage than the north side of the tree. Two extremes are known, with leaves white underneath and with leaves brown underneath. The brown varieties are claimed to be more cold-hardy than the white varieties, but this does not appear to be proven as yet. Once established plants are drought tolerant, and the most drought tolerant of all the Magnolia species.[14]
The leaves are heavy and tend to fall year round from the interior of the crown and form a dense cover on top of the soil surface,[14] they have been used in decorative floral arrangements.[15] The leaves have a waxy coating that makes them resistant to damage from salt and air pollution.[14]
In the United States, Southern magnolia along with sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana) and cucumbertree (Magnolia acuminata), is commercially harvested. Lumber from all three species is simply called magnolia, which is used in the construction of furniture, boxes, pallets, venetian blinds, sashes, doors and used as veneers. Southern magnolia has yellowish-white sapwood and light to dark brown heartwood that is tinted yellow or green. The usually straight grained wood has uniform texture with closely spaced rings. The wood is ranked moderate in heaviness, hardness and stiffness; moderately low in shrinkage, bending and compression strength; it is ranked moderately high in shock resistance.[16] Its use in the southeastern United States has been supplanted by the availability of harder woods.[17]
Symbolic of the American South, Magnolia grandiflora is the state tree of Mississippi,[18] and the state flower of Mississippi and Louisiana.[6] The flower was also used as an emblem of the Confederate army in the US civil war

Cultivars
Over a hundred cultivars have been developed and named in Europe and North America. More and more plants in nurseries are propagated by cuttings, resulting in more consistent form in the various varieties available.[19] Many older cultivars have been superseded by newer ones and are no longer available.[20]
As newer cultivars have been found to be more cold hardy, the cultivated range has continued to spread farther north with some being planted around Chicago. ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’, ‘Edith Bogue’ and ’24 Below’ are some of the most cold hardy varieties.
Magnolia "Angustifolia", developed in France in 1825, has narrow spear-shaped leaves 20 cm (8 in) long by 11 cm (4.4 in) wide, as its name suggests.[19]
Magnolia "Exmouth" was developed in the early 18th century by John Colliton in Devon. It is notable for its huge flowers with up to 20 tepals, and vigorous growth. Erect in habit, it is often planted against walls. The leaves are green above and brownish underneath.[21] The flowers are very fragrant and the leaves are narrow and leathery.[22]
Magnolia "Goliath", was developed by Caledonia Nurseries of Guernsey, and has a bushier habit and globular flowers of up to 30 cm (12 in) diameter. Long-flowering, it has oval leaves which lack the brownish hair underneath.[21]
Magnolia "Little Gem", a dwarf cultivar, is grown in warmer climates. Originally developed in 1952 by Steed’s Nursery in Candor, North Carolina, it is a slower growing form with a columnar shape which reaches around 4.25 m (14 ft) high and 1.2 m (4 ft) wide. Flowering heavily over an extended period in warmer climate, it bears medium-size cup-shaped flowers, and has elliptic leaves 12.5 cm (5 in) long by 5 cm (2 in) wide
Other commonly grow cultivars include:
Magnolia "Ferruginea", has dark green leaves with rust-brown undersides

**** www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Magnolia+grandiflora : Click on link to read more , please.

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Flowers.
Edible Uses: Condiment.

The flowers are pickled in some parts of England and are considered to have an exquisite flavour[2, 183]. They are also said to be used as a spice and a condiment[183].
Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Diaphoretic; Hypotensive; Salve; Stimulant; Tonic.

The bark is diaphoretic, stimulant, tonic[46, 61, 240]. It is used in the treatment of malaria and rheumatism[240]. A decoction has been used as a wash and a bath for prickly heat itching[257]. The decoction has also been used as a wash for sores and as a steam bath for treating dropsy[257]. An alcoholic extract of the plant reduces the blood pressure, produces a slight acceleration in respiration but has no action on the heart[240].
Other Uses
Essential; Shelterbelt; Wood.

A fairly wind-tolerant tree, it can be used in shelterbelt plantings[200]. An essential oil is obtained from the flowers[240]. Wood – hard and fairly heavy, but weak and not durable[227]. White when first cut, it turns brown on exposure to air[229]. It is used in limited amounts for fuel, baskets, crates, woodenware and furniture[82, 227]

Propagation
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed must be kept cold over the winter and should be sown in late winter in a cold frame[200]. The seed usually germinates in the spring but it can take 18 months. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse for at least their first winter. They can be planted out into their permanent positions when they are more than 15cm tall, though should be well mulched and given some protection from winter cold for their first winter or two outdoors. Layering in early spring[200].

This Is A Castle, You Do Have Tapestries?

Image by drp
A detail from one of the famous medieval unicorn tapestries (@ 1500 AD), currently hanging at The Cloisters, in Fort Tryon Park, New York City.

"Situated in a public park on the northern tip of Manhattan, a trip to the Cloisters is truly a unique experience. This uptown branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art was constructed out of an assemblage of original architectural fragments from French medieval monasteries and, of course, cloisters. The museum houses 5,000 works of art from the Romanesque to the Gothic periods, including sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, stained glass and the famous Unicorn tapestries. Thanks to John D. Rockefeller’s prescient donation of 700 acres across the state line (the present-day Palisades Park), the Cloisters enjoys an unobstructed view of the Hudson River. Adding to the time-warp effect are the medieval gardens, which were planted according to information culled from poetry and horticultural treatises from the Middle Ages." – Eleana Kim

If you have never been there before, I highly suggest you put it on your "to do" list when visiting Manhattan. The energy and beauty of the place is quite inspiring.

If you’d like, I can post more shots from my visit there. Just say the word.

In the meantime, check it out here:
www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/department.asp?dep=7

An Eared grebe in full

Image by Doug Greenberg
The Eared grebe, all winter long so humble and drab a bird, becomes a true beauty when spring arrives. This bird was on display at Oakland’s Lake Merritt. Thanks for Glen Tepke for the tip on where and when to photograph these grebes.

A few nice beauty tips images I found:

Southern Magnolia, Bullbay, Magnolia grandiflora ….#18

Image by Vietnam Plants & The USA. plants
Taken on May 28, 2012 in Waco city, Texas state, Southern of America .

Vietnamese named : Hoa Mộc Lan
Common names : Southern Magnolia, Bullbay.
Scientist name : Magnolia grandiflora L
Synonyms :
Family : Magnoliaceae- Magnolia family. Họ Mộc Lan

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Magnoliidae
Order: Magnoliales
Family: Magnoliaceae – Magnolia family
Genus: Magnolia L. – magnolia
Species: Magnolia grandiflora L. – southern magnolia

**** plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=magr4

**** en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_grandiflora

Magnolia grandiflora, commonly known as the southern magnolia or bull bay, is a tree of the family Magnoliaceae native to the southeastern United States, from Virginia south to central Florida, and west to eastern Texas and Oklahoma. Reaching 27.5 m (90 ft) in height, it is a large striking evergreen tree with large dark green leaves and large white fragrant flowers. Widely cultivated around the world, over a hundred cultivars have been bred and marketed commercially. The timber is hard and heavy, and has been used commercially to make furniture, pallets, and veneer.

Description

Magnolia grandiflora is a medium to large evergreen tree which may grow 27.5 m (90 ft) tall.[1] It typically has a single stem (or trunk) and a pyramidal shape.[2] The leaves are simple and broadly ovate, 12–20 cm (5–8 in) long and 6–12 cm (2–5 in) broad,[2] with smooth margins. They are dark green, stiff and leathery, and often scurfy underneath with yellow-brown pubescence. The large, showy, lemon citronella-scented flowers are white, up to 30 cm (12 in) across and fragrant, with 6–12 petals with a waxy texture, emerging from the tips of twigs on mature trees in late spring. Flowering is followed by the rose-coloured fruit, ovoid and 7.5–10 cm (3–4 in) long and 3–5 cm (1.5–2 in) wide.[3]
Exceptionally large trees recorded include a 35 m (114 ft) high specimen from the Chickasawhay District, De Soto National Forest in Mississippi which measured 17 feet 8 inches in circumference at breast height, from 1961, and a 30 m (99 ft) tall tree from Baton Rouge in Louisiana which reached 18 feet in circumference at breast height

Taxonomy

Magnolia grandiflora was one of the many species first described by Linnaeus in his Systema Naturae in 1759, basing his description on the earlier notes of Miller. He did not select a type specimen. Its specific epithet is derived from the Latin words grandis "big", and flor- "flower".[4]
Magnolia grandiflora is most commonly known as Southern magnolia, a name derived from its range in the Southern United States. Many broadleaved evergreen trees are known as bays for their resemblance to the leaves of the red bay (Persea borbonia), with this species known as the bull bay for its huge size or alternately because cattle have been reported eating its leaves. Laurel magnolia,[4] evergreen magnolia,[3] large-flower magnolia or big laurel are alternate names.[5] The timber is known simply as magn

Distribution and habitat

Magnolia grandiflora is native to the southeastern United States, from Virginia south to central Florida, and then west to eastern Texas and Oklahoma. It is found on the edges of bodies of water and swamps, in association with sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), water oak (Quercus nigra), and black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica). In more sheltered habitats, it grows as a large tree, but can be a low shrub when found on coastal dunes.[6] It is killed by summer fires, and is missing from habitats that undergo regular burning.[7] In Florida it is found in a number of different ecological areas that are typically shady and have well draining soils, it is also found in hummocks, along ravines, on slopes, and wooded floodplains.[8] Despite preferring sites with increased moisture, it does not tolerate inundation.[3] It grows on sand-hills in maritime forests, where it is found growing with live oaks and saw palmetto.[7] In the eastern United States it has become an escape, and has become naturalized in the tidewater area of Virginia and locally in other areas outside of its historically natural range

Ecology
Magnolia grandiflora can produce seed by 10 years of age, although peak seed production is achieved closer to 25 years of age. Around 50% of seed can germinate, and is spread by birds and mammals.[3] Squirrels, opossums, quail, and turkey are known to eat the seeds

Cultivation and uses

The plant collector Mark Catesby, the first in North America, brought Magnolia grandiflora to Britain in 1726, where it entered cultivation and overshadowed M. virginiana which had been collected a few years earlier. It had also come to France, the French having collected it in the vicinity of the Mississippi River in Louisiana.[11] It was glowingly described by Philip Miller in his 1731 work The Gardeners’ Dictionary.[12] One of the earliest people to cultivate it in Europe was Sir John Colliton of Exeter in Devon; scaffolding and tubs surrounded his tree, where gardeners propagated its branches by layering, the daughter plants initially selling for five guineas each (but later falling to half a guinea).[12]

Southern magnolia is a very popular ornamental tree throughout the southeastern United States and California, grown for its attractive shiny green leaves and fragrant flowers. It is also grown in Central and South America as well as parts of Asia.[4]
It is often planted in university campuses and allowed to grow into a large tree, either with dependent branches, or with the lower branches removed to display the bare trunks. It is also espaliered against walls, which improves its frost-hardiness.[4]
On the east coast of the United States, cold-hardy cultivars have been seen planted up to and even north of the Ohio River, where large tree specimens become increasingly rare and eventually are only found as shrubs before disappearing altogether from the landscape; for example, large mature trees are common in the Cincinnati, Ohio area but begin to taper off in size and occurrence until they are generally absent altogether in Columbus, Ohio. This "subtropical indicator" tree is seen in some gardens as far north as southern Connecticut, southeastern New York and Cape Cod; farther north in New England it is extremely difficult to cultivate. Towards the northern limit of its cultivation, it may suffer dieback from very hard freezes, but weathers normal freezes well.
On the west coast it can be grown as far north as British Columbia.[4]
It is recommended for seashore plantings in areas that are windy but have little salt spray.[13] The foliage will bronze, blotch, and burn in severe winters at the northern limits of cultivation, especially when grown in full winter sun[14] but most leaves remain until they are replaced by new foliage in the spring. In climates where the ground freezes, winter sun appears to do more damage than the cold itself. In the northern hemisphere the south side of the tree will experience more leaf damage than the north side of the tree. Two extremes are known, with leaves white underneath and with leaves brown underneath. The brown varieties are claimed to be more cold-hardy than the white varieties, but this does not appear to be proven as yet. Once established plants are drought tolerant, and the most drought tolerant of all the Magnolia species.[14]
The leaves are heavy and tend to fall year round from the interior of the crown and form a dense cover on top of the soil surface,[14] they have been used in decorative floral arrangements.[15] The leaves have a waxy coating that makes them resistant to damage from salt and air pollution.[14]
In the United States, Southern magnolia along with sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana) and cucumbertree (Magnolia acuminata), is commercially harvested. Lumber from all three species is simply called magnolia, which is used in the construction of furniture, boxes, pallets, venetian blinds, sashes, doors and used as veneers. Southern magnolia has yellowish-white sapwood and light to dark brown heartwood that is tinted yellow or green. The usually straight grained wood has uniform texture with closely spaced rings. The wood is ranked moderate in heaviness, hardness and stiffness; moderately low in shrinkage, bending and compression strength; it is ranked moderately high in shock resistance.[16] Its use in the southeastern United States has been supplanted by the availability of harder woods.[17]
Symbolic of the American South, Magnolia grandiflora is the state tree of Mississippi,[18] and the state flower of Mississippi and Louisiana.[6] The flower was also used as an emblem of the Confederate army in the US civil war

Cultivars
Over a hundred cultivars have been developed and named in Europe and North America. More and more plants in nurseries are propagated by cuttings, resulting in more consistent form in the various varieties available.[19] Many older cultivars have been superseded by newer ones and are no longer available.[20]
As newer cultivars have been found to be more cold hardy, the cultivated range has continued to spread farther north with some being planted around Chicago. ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’, ‘Edith Bogue’ and ’24 Below’ are some of the most cold hardy varieties.
Magnolia "Angustifolia", developed in France in 1825, has narrow spear-shaped leaves 20 cm (8 in) long by 11 cm (4.4 in) wide, as its name suggests.[19]
Magnolia "Exmouth" was developed in the early 18th century by John Colliton in Devon. It is notable for its huge flowers with up to 20 tepals, and vigorous growth. Erect in habit, it is often planted against walls. The leaves are green above and brownish underneath.[21] The flowers are very fragrant and the leaves are narrow and leathery.[22]
Magnolia "Goliath", was developed by Caledonia Nurseries of Guernsey, and has a bushier habit and globular flowers of up to 30 cm (12 in) diameter. Long-flowering, it has oval leaves which lack the brownish hair underneath.[21]
Magnolia "Little Gem", a dwarf cultivar, is grown in warmer climates. Originally developed in 1952 by Steed’s Nursery in Candor, North Carolina, it is a slower growing form with a columnar shape which reaches around 4.25 m (14 ft) high and 1.2 m (4 ft) wide. Flowering heavily over an extended period in warmer climate, it bears medium-size cup-shaped flowers, and has elliptic leaves 12.5 cm (5 in) long by 5 cm (2 in) wide
Other commonly grow cultivars include:
Magnolia "Ferruginea", has dark green leaves with rust-brown undersides

**** www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Magnolia+grandiflora : Click on link to read more , please.

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Flowers.
Edible Uses: Condiment.

The flowers are pickled in some parts of England and are considered to have an exquisite flavour[2, 183]. They are also said to be used as a spice and a condiment[183].
Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Diaphoretic; Hypotensive; Salve; Stimulant; Tonic.

The bark is diaphoretic, stimulant, tonic[46, 61, 240]. It is used in the treatment of malaria and rheumatism[240]. A decoction has been used as a wash and a bath for prickly heat itching[257]. The decoction has also been used as a wash for sores and as a steam bath for treating dropsy[257]. An alcoholic extract of the plant reduces the blood pressure, produces a slight acceleration in respiration but has no action on the heart[240].
Other Uses
Essential; Shelterbelt; Wood.

A fairly wind-tolerant tree, it can be used in shelterbelt plantings[200]. An essential oil is obtained from the flowers[240]. Wood – hard and fairly heavy, but weak and not durable[227]. White when first cut, it turns brown on exposure to air[229]. It is used in limited amounts for fuel, baskets, crates, woodenware and furniture[82, 227]

Propagation
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed must be kept cold over the winter and should be sown in late winter in a cold frame[200]. The seed usually germinates in the spring but it can take 18 months. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse for at least their first winter. They can be planted out into their permanent positions when they are more than 15cm tall, though should be well mulched and given some protection from winter cold for their first winter or two outdoors. Layering in early spring[200].

Southern Magnolia, Bullbay, Magnolia grandiflora ….#6

Image by Vietnam Plants & The USA. plants
Taken on May 28, 2012 in Waco city, Texas state, Southern of America .

Vietnamese named : Hoa Mộc Lan
Common names : Southern Magnolia, Bullbay.
Scientist name : Magnolia grandiflora L
Synonyms :
Family : Magnoliaceae- Magnolia family. Họ Mộc Lan

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Magnoliidae
Order: Magnoliales
Family: Magnoliaceae – Magnolia family
Genus: Magnolia L. – magnolia
Species: Magnolia grandiflora L. – southern magnolia

**** plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=magr4

**** en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_grandiflora

Magnolia grandiflora, commonly known as the southern magnolia or bull bay, is a tree of the family Magnoliaceae native to the southeastern United States, from Virginia south to central Florida, and west to eastern Texas and Oklahoma. Reaching 27.5 m (90 ft) in height, it is a large striking evergreen tree with large dark green leaves and large white fragrant flowers. Widely cultivated around the world, over a hundred cultivars have been bred and marketed commercially. The timber is hard and heavy, and has been used commercially to make furniture, pallets, and veneer.

Description

Magnolia grandiflora is a medium to large evergreen tree which may grow 27.5 m (90 ft) tall.[1] It typically has a single stem (or trunk) and a pyramidal shape.[2] The leaves are simple and broadly ovate, 12–20 cm (5–8 in) long and 6–12 cm (2–5 in) broad,[2] with smooth margins. They are dark green, stiff and leathery, and often scurfy underneath with yellow-brown pubescence. The large, showy, lemon citronella-scented flowers are white, up to 30 cm (12 in) across and fragrant, with 6–12 petals with a waxy texture, emerging from the tips of twigs on mature trees in late spring. Flowering is followed by the rose-coloured fruit, ovoid and 7.5–10 cm (3–4 in) long and 3–5 cm (1.5–2 in) wide.[3]
Exceptionally large trees recorded include a 35 m (114 ft) high specimen from the Chickasawhay District, De Soto National Forest in Mississippi which measured 17 feet 8 inches in circumference at breast height, from 1961, and a 30 m (99 ft) tall tree from Baton Rouge in Louisiana which reached 18 feet in circumference at breast height

Taxonomy

Magnolia grandiflora was one of the many species first described by Linnaeus in his Systema Naturae in 1759, basing his description on the earlier notes of Miller. He did not select a type specimen. Its specific epithet is derived from the Latin words grandis "big", and flor- "flower".[4]
Magnolia grandiflora is most commonly known as Southern magnolia, a name derived from its range in the Southern United States. Many broadleaved evergreen trees are known as bays for their resemblance to the leaves of the red bay (Persea borbonia), with this species known as the bull bay for its huge size or alternately because cattle have been reported eating its leaves. Laurel magnolia,[4] evergreen magnolia,[3] large-flower magnolia or big laurel are alternate names.[5] The timber is known simply as magn

Distribution and habitat

Magnolia grandiflora is native to the southeastern United States, from Virginia south to central Florida, and then west to eastern Texas and Oklahoma. It is found on the edges of bodies of water and swamps, in association with sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), water oak (Quercus nigra), and black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica). In more sheltered habitats, it grows as a large tree, but can be a low shrub when found on coastal dunes.[6] It is killed by summer fires, and is missing from habitats that undergo regular burning.[7] In Florida it is found in a number of different ecological areas that are typically shady and have well draining soils, it is also found in hummocks, along ravines, on slopes, and wooded floodplains.[8] Despite preferring sites with increased moisture, it does not tolerate inundation.[3] It grows on sand-hills in maritime forests, where it is found growing with live oaks and saw palmetto.[7] In the eastern United States it has become an escape, and has become naturalized in the tidewater area of Virginia and locally in other areas outside of its historically natural range

Ecology
Magnolia grandiflora can produce seed by 10 years of age, although peak seed production is achieved closer to 25 years of age. Around 50% of seed can germinate, and is spread by birds and mammals.[3] Squirrels, opossums, quail, and turkey are known to eat the seeds

Cultivation and uses

The plant collector Mark Catesby, the first in North America, brought Magnolia grandiflora to Britain in 1726, where it entered cultivation and overshadowed M. virginiana which had been collected a few years earlier. It had also come to France, the French having collected it in the vicinity of the Mississippi River in Louisiana.[11] It was glowingly described by Philip Miller in his 1731 work The Gardeners’ Dictionary.[12] One of the earliest people to cultivate it in Europe was Sir John Colliton of Exeter in Devon; scaffolding and tubs surrounded his tree, where gardeners propagated its branches by layering, the daughter plants initially selling for five guineas each (but later falling to half a guinea).[12]

Southern magnolia is a very popular ornamental tree throughout the southeastern United States and California, grown for its attractive shiny green leaves and fragrant flowers. It is also grown in Central and South America as well as parts of Asia.[4]
It is often planted in university campuses and allowed to grow into a large tree, either with dependent branches, or with the lower branches removed to display the bare trunks. It is also espaliered against walls, which improves its frost-hardiness.[4]
On the east coast of the United States, cold-hardy cultivars have been seen planted up to and even north of the Ohio River, where large tree specimens become increasingly rare and eventually are only found as shrubs before disappearing altogether from the landscape; for example, large mature trees are common in the Cincinnati, Ohio area but begin to taper off in size and occurrence until they are generally absent altogether in Columbus, Ohio. This "subtropical indicator" tree is seen in some gardens as far north as southern Connecticut, southeastern New York and Cape Cod; farther north in New England it is extremely difficult to cultivate. Towards the northern limit of its cultivation, it may suffer dieback from very hard freezes, but weathers normal freezes well.
On the west coast it can be grown as far north as British Columbia.[4]
It is recommended for seashore plantings in areas that are windy but have little salt spray.[13] The foliage will bronze, blotch, and burn in severe winters at the northern limits of cultivation, especially when grown in full winter sun[14] but most leaves remain until they are replaced by new foliage in the spring. In climates where the ground freezes, winter sun appears to do more damage than the cold itself. In the northern hemisphere the south side of the tree will experience more leaf damage than the north side of the tree. Two extremes are known, with leaves white underneath and with leaves brown underneath. The brown varieties are claimed to be more cold-hardy than the white varieties, but this does not appear to be proven as yet. Once established plants are drought tolerant, and the most drought tolerant of all the Magnolia species.[14]
The leaves are heavy and tend to fall year round from the interior of the crown and form a dense cover on top of the soil surface,[14] they have been used in decorative floral arrangements.[15] The leaves have a waxy coating that makes them resistant to damage from salt and air pollution.[14]
In the United States, Southern magnolia along with sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana) and cucumbertree (Magnolia acuminata), is commercially harvested. Lumber from all three species is simply called magnolia, which is used in the construction of furniture, boxes, pallets, venetian blinds, sashes, doors and used as veneers. Southern magnolia has yellowish-white sapwood and light to dark brown heartwood that is tinted yellow or green. The usually straight grained wood has uniform texture with closely spaced rings. The wood is ranked moderate in heaviness, hardness and stiffness; moderately low in shrinkage, bending and compression strength; it is ranked moderately high in shock resistance.[16] Its use in the southeastern United States has been supplanted by the availability of harder woods.[17]
Symbolic of the American South, Magnolia grandiflora is the state tree of Mississippi,[18] and the state flower of Mississippi and Louisiana.[6] The flower was also used as an emblem of the Confederate army in the US civil war

Cultivars
Over a hundred cultivars have been developed and named in Europe and North America. More and more plants in nurseries are propagated by cuttings, resulting in more consistent form in the various varieties available.[19] Many older cultivars have been superseded by newer ones and are no longer available.[20]
As newer cultivars have been found to be more cold hardy, the cultivated range has continued to spread farther north with some being planted around Chicago. ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’, ‘Edith Bogue’ and ’24 Below’ are some of the most cold hardy varieties.
Magnolia "Angustifolia", developed in France in 1825, has narrow spear-shaped leaves 20 cm (8 in) long by 11 cm (4.4 in) wide, as its name suggests.[19]
Magnolia "Exmouth" was developed in the early 18th century by John Colliton in Devon. It is notable for its huge flowers with up to 20 tepals, and vigorous growth. Erect in habit, it is often planted against walls. The leaves are green above and brownish underneath.[21] The flowers are very fragrant and the leaves are narrow and leathery.[22]
Magnolia "Goliath", was developed by Caledonia Nurseries of Guernsey, and has a bushier habit and globular flowers of up to 30 cm (12 in) diameter. Long-flowering, it has oval leaves which lack the brownish hair underneath.[21]
Magnolia "Little Gem", a dwarf cultivar, is grown in warmer climates. Originally developed in 1952 by Steed’s Nursery in Candor, North Carolina, it is a slower growing form with a columnar shape which reaches around 4.25 m (14 ft) high and 1.2 m (4 ft) wide. Flowering heavily over an extended period in warmer climate, it bears medium-size cup-shaped flowers, and has elliptic leaves 12.5 cm (5 in) long by 5 cm (2 in) wide
Other commonly grow cultivars include:
Magnolia "Ferruginea", has dark green leaves with rust-brown undersides

**** www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Magnolia+grandiflora : Click on link to read more , please.

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Flowers.
Edible Uses: Condiment.

The flowers are pickled in some parts of England and are considered to have an exquisite flavour[2, 183]. They are also said to be used as a spice and a condiment[183].
Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Diaphoretic; Hypotensive; Salve; Stimulant; Tonic.

The bark is diaphoretic, stimulant, tonic[46, 61, 240]. It is used in the treatment of malaria and rheumatism[240]. A decoction has been used as a wash and a bath for prickly heat itching[257]. The decoction has also been used as a wash for sores and as a steam bath for treating dropsy[257]. An alcoholic extract of the plant reduces the blood pressure, produces a slight acceleration in respiration but has no action on the heart[240].
Other Uses
Essential; Shelterbelt; Wood.

A fairly wind-tolerant tree, it can be used in shelterbelt plantings[200]. An essential oil is obtained from the flowers[240]. Wood – hard and fairly heavy, but weak and not durable[227]. White when first cut, it turns brown on exposure to air[229]. It is used in limited amounts for fuel, baskets, crates, woodenware and furniture[82, 227]

Propagation
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed must be kept cold over the winter and should be sown in late winter in a cold frame[200]. The seed usually germinates in the spring but it can take 18 months. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse for at least their first winter. They can be planted out into their permanent positions when they are more than 15cm tall, though should be well mulched and given some protection from winter cold for their first winter or two outdoors. Layering in early spring[200].

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I’ve recently been takin Trimspa X32, about 6 tablets per day– And I’ve noticed maybe some more energy, however not much weight loss…

I do go to a gym 4 times a week, It seems like I’m having a difficult time shedding the extra weight!

Can you suggest a weight tablet such as trimspa that might be better for me? I weigh 170 lbs, I am 5’9″, and I am a woman( HA )..

Best answer:

Answer by Carol B
There is no pill out there that will make you lose weight – The diet pill is designed to speed you up so that you’re not as hungry. You eat less and lose weight.

The problem is that people take the diet pills thinking that the pill itself will do the work. You still have to cut down on your food intake in order to lose – so don’t waste your money if the pills aren’t suppressing your appetite.

The only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news and good luck!!

What do you think? Answer below!