Magnolia, a birthday flower of May 7th

Magnolia is called Mokuren (モクレン) in Japanese. It is one of the birthday flowers of May 7th in Japan. It has an atypical appearance with sculptured petals that look remind me of lanterns in their early form. Interestingly, the petals drop over time, making them look more like a typical flower before they shed.

In my area, the magnolia trees are past flowering season now, but they are still in bloom in many parts of Japan. They can bloom anytime between March and May. They come in many different colors, but in Japan the "shiomokuren" purple magnolia and the "hakumokuren" white magnolia are the most common. They often bloom in succession rather than simultaneously.

In the Japanese language of flowers, 'hanakotoba', they carry meanings such as "love of nature," "nobility," and "perseverance". They carry similar meanings in the Western language of flowers too. Apart from May 7th, magnolia are also one of the birthday flowers of January 8th, February 19th and July 4th.

Are magnolia blooming in your area at the moment?