prickly pear 1

prickly pear 2

magnolia bud

The young magnolia trees outside my doctor's office caught my eye. While considered the typical Southern tree, magnolias are found throughout the United States. They are claimed by both Mississippi and Louisiana as the state tree.

may frost-bit magnolia

The unseasonable May frost caught this magnolia bloom, like many others, unaware
.

stigmas and stamens

The magnolia bloom, unlike standard blossoms, has a multitude of stamens and pistils. These curled stigmas darken with age and the scarlet band is stamen scars. The magnolia will bear an aggregate fruit, like a blackberry, but the red seeds are dry, not lush.

I'm flunking the "photo a day" project and will not catch up on entries but will strive to continue to post images -- hopefully daily "if the creek don't rise and the galloping respiratory crud doesn't return."

yucca

yucca on yucca lane

Wonder which came first -- the address or the landscape?