Magnolias were among the earliest flowering plants, which evolved millions of years ago, before there were any bees, butterflies and moths. Beetles were among the first insects to pollinate flowers and they remain the most important pollinators of magnolias today. According to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, beetles are responsible for pollinating 88% of the 240,000 flowering plants globally. Can you spot the beetle on the outer edge of one of the petals on the left side of this magnolia? I didn’t even notice it was there when I took the picture.
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