Mountain Magnolia Fruit

Magnolia fraseri

10×8″ Cochineal insect ink, lilac flower ink, cherry blossom ink, red maple leaf ink, lichen ink, and pen on paper

I first encountered the Mountain Magnolia in the fog-draped slopes of the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia, where I was part of a conservation research team led by John Berryhill and Professor Jesse Bellemare during my internship with the Smith College Botanic Garden. We were collecting fruits for future study plots, surrounded by dense, biodiverse understory. Among all that lush green, the bright magenta of the magnolia fruit stood out, almost otherworldly. It captured both the beauty of the magnolia and the vulnerability of its shrinking habitat.