MAGNOLIA
Associated with higher consciousness and the opening of the heart, this glorious flower holds so much more than this, as does the bark
Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnoliodeae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol.
Magnolia is an ancient genus, appearing before bees did. The flowers have evolved to encourage pollination by beetles. To avoid damage from pollinating beetles, the carpels of Magnolia flowers are extremely tough. Fossilised specimens of Magnolia have been found dating from to 20 million to 95 million years ago. The natural range of Magnolia species is a disjunctive distribution, with a main centre in east and southeast Asia and a secondary centre in eastern North America, Central America, the West Indies, and South America.
We had a huge magnolia tree in my childhood backyard whose branches hold memories of hemp roped swings and scampering daredevils. It is one of my favourites - the flower, the bright red seeds, the velvet pods, the smell and it's a joy to see it spread so widely (and very different looking but with similar scents), across earth an an endemic species.
Health benefits:
• Stress, anxiety, depression, Alzheimer's, insomnia, restlessness
• Boosts cognition
• Skin: inflammation, itching, reduces burning sensation, ulcers, leprosy
• Gastro-intestinal: indigestion, nausea, gas, loss of appetite, constipation, diarrhoea, dysentery
• Anti-inflammatory
• Respiratory: asthma, decongestant (cough, cold), bronchitis
• Analgesia: headache, menstrual cramps, chest pain, muscle tension
• Cardio-vascular: stroke
• Fever
• Typhoid, malaria
• Weight loss
• Allergies: protects against severe allergic reactions, hay fever, seasonal allergies
• Detoxifier: stimulates lymphatic system and toxin elimination, reduces liver fat
• Hormone balance
• Cancer: prevention, prostate, colon, leukaemia
• Diabetes: the bark’s active compounds’ mimics cortisol (the 'stress' hormone) and can help control release and management of blood sugar
Warning: Magnolia extracts and supplements are extremely powerful, and can cause vertigo, dizziness and headaches. Magnolia bark can cause respiratory paralysis in animals or infant children, so should be avoided in those situations and by pregnant women.