Ashe Magnolia
A saucer magnolia tree in the Clinton Community Garden, New York, NY. Photo: Phil O'Brien/W42ST.nyc
My collaboration with the Late Bloomers, a chapter of the Garden Club of America, began when the club’s leadership invited me to speak to their membership about remarkable plants and creative inspiration. Our planning session for the presentation led to a fundraising idea for the Late Bloomers’ conservation efforts: a limited-edition linocut print based on their logo, the Ashe Magnolia, to be sold at the event, with half the proceeds going to their work.
As a native Northeasterner, the magnolia trees I know bloom in the spring and have oval leaves and mauve petals that rest in the palm of your hand. So, the entirely different appearance of the Ashe Magnolia, a rare, deciduous tree that’s native to the Florida panhandle, took me by surprise.
The Ashe Magnolia has leaves that can grow to 1-2 feet in length, and fragrant white flowers, marked with splashes of magenta, that are the size of dinner plates. Named after the forester and botanist William Willard Ashe, who was known for his pioneering work in flood mitigation, Ashe Magnolias grow along bluffs and ravines. With roots that dig down into the soil and hold it in place along sloping terrain, one might speculate that, in the spirit of their namesake, Ashe Magnolias prevent flooding as well.
To learn more about this special southern tree, I began reading about the cultural significance of magnolia trees in the South. This research led me to a short story by the great novelist, anthropologist, and Floridian, Zora Neale Hurston, called “Magnolia Flower.” Written in 1925, “Magnolia Flower” is a love story about a young girl, Magnolia Flower, and her true love, John, who escape oppression and run away to build a life together on the banks of the St. John’s river. There they live happily ever after in the company of “whispering hyacinths,” “gossiping palmetto palms,” and a moon that sends kisses. The most beguiling aspect of the story is the narration: a wide, steady river tells the tale of the lovers to one of its tributaries, a small, playful brook, who soaks up the river’s every word.
Ashe Magnolia limited edition print, 2024
Photos of the Ashe Magnolia, combined with Hurston’s lyrical description of the St. John’s river basin, provided fertile ground for my imagination. The resulting print features the colossal leaves and blossoms for which the Ashe Magnolia is known, as well as the river, brook, hyacinths, palmetto palms, and affectionate moon that dwell in the world of “Magnolia Flower.” Hurston’s story provided both imagery for the print itself, and a message that inspired me as I worked: the notion that the natural world is a companion, that we’re all in it together, and that we all want a happy ending.
Steps to creating the Ashe Magnolia print.
Making the print began with a series of sketches and experimentation with mark-making. Next I carved, inked and printed the primary block. The final step was to add the dashes of magenta on the magnolia’s petals with a small secondary block. Registration is everything!
With Avery Williams, Late Bloomers Head of Programming. Photo: Sally Lee
What a rewarding journey this was! I loved learning about the world of the Ashe Magnolia, and working with the Late Bloomers and helping raise funds for their important work was deeply gratifying. If you’re reading this post and have an idea for a collaboration of this nature, please be in touch!