From my office window, I’m incredibly fortunate to have a view of a variety of trees, with two notable standouts: a sequoia and a magnolia.

While I get to enjoy the massive, evergreen glory of the sequoia year-round, once a year, right about now, the magnolia bursts to life with the most beautiful, luscious flowers.

There’s something incredibly sensuous about the magnolia flower. The petals are large and thick and remind me of some of the succulent cactus species. They feel saturated with moisture and life.

I’m not sure if they are edible or not, but I do have this strong urge to bite into one whenever I see them. And, you know what? Since it’s lunch time right now, I’m half-tempted to go right out there and try one!