Yoloxochitl

This could be a time-lapse, but that's not allowed on blip (well not for the time it would take for this), so these are close-ups of four different sprouting branches on our magnolia tree. I found them all on the one large branch, and the biggest was furthest up the branch ie, closest to the leaves and where the flowers will be.

It looks as if they just push their way through the tree's bark, tossing a sliver of it to one side, as the new branch takes hold. Apparently these little sprouts are delicious food for small slugs, but we don't seem to have any of them, so these should grow much bigger.

There are over 200 types of magnolia tree, also known as the tulip tree or Yoloxochitl. These trees have been around for over 95 million years - before even bees evolved, which is why bees have nothing to do with their pollination. They rely instead on beetles.