Decorating the house with fresh greenery is a holiday tradition—and, with its big, glossy leaves, this Southern belle rules the season.

(Photography by Patricia Lyons)
When I was a docent at the Valentine Museum in Richmond, I had some visitors from up north walk out into the courtyard and ask, “Is that a rubber plant on steroids? We’ve seen those huge trees with the big, shiny leaves all over Virginia. What are they?”
The stately tree that is so impressive, a hallmark of the South, is of course the magnolia. In fact, the magnificent evergreen species, with its densely pyramidal, low-branching form, which can grow to 80 feet high and 60 feet wide, has the common name Southern magnolia (M. grandiflora). Other species—popular for their fleeting but spectacular springtime blooms—include the star magnolia (M. stellata) and the saucer magnolia (M. x soulangiana). Yet another, the sweetbay magnolia (M. virginiana), is appreciated for its ability to thrive in wetlands. All varieties are showy, with fragrant flowers, large glossy leaves and striking pods whose bright red seeds are attractive to wildlife.
Magnolias are rather slow-growing, but if you have a mature tree whose lowest branches have been allowed to skirt the ground, or if you have a friend willing to let you prune the branch tips, you are lucky indeed. Decorating the house with fresh greenery in winter is one of the oldest holiday traditions. Evergreens have played key roles in winter festivals since ancient times: They symbolized everlasting life.
While pine, cedar, and spruce produce fresh, woodsy scents, nothing can beat magnolia for dependable holiday decorating. Its leaves are lustrous, thick and tough, and they hold up very well, even without water, so they are highly prized throughout the season. They make stunning wreaths and are especially useful as the bases for arrangements where grand scale is needed. Magnolia pods provide nice texture for arrangements and are especially pretty if they have a natural red tinge.

(Photography by Patricia Lyons)
Here are a few tips for holiday decorating:
When cutting the greens, use sharp clippers, cut on a distinct angle, and space your cuts in various areas all around the tree so that it maintains its balance and beauty. Crushing the woody end of the stem facilitates water uptake. Soak the stems in water in a bucket (at least overnight) to condition them, and keep the greens in a cool place, out of sunlight until ready to arrange. If you have urns or containers that remain outdoors through the winter, stick branches of magnolia into the dirt and water them. You’ll be surprised at how long they will stay fresh.

(Photography by Patricia Lyons)
Williamsburg-style Colonial decorating features all-natural materials, usually arranged in a formal manner. Use individual magnolia leaves laid flat, and staple them side-by-side on a board for a fan design over a doorway. You can use corrugated cardboard cut in any shape or style of panel as a base for flat or overlapping leaves.
A table centerpiece can be as simple as leaves taped or hot-glued side-by-side onto a circular cardboard base (attach some felt underneath to protect the table from scratches) and overlapping each other on a cone-shaped florist form placed on the base. Add sparkle by spray-painting some or all of the leaves silver or gold. Or, to mix things up, cover a spiked cone or pyramid—or a wire form—with fruit and/or berries, and fill in the gaps with boxwood leaves. Dipping the fruit into floor wax helps to preserve it longer.
For a splash of yellow, use lemons and alternate small magnolia leaves with Gold Dust aucuba leaves for the green base. For an extra-spicy aroma, insert whole cloves into oranges in interesting designs, and add some rose hips or bittersweet. For an all-green arrangement, use magnolia leaves with pears, green apples, limes, osage oranges or green grapes dusted with sugar (1 tablespoon gum arabic into 3 tablespoons water, with a drop of rose water. Put in a jar with a screw top and shake. Leave for three hours until it acquires a syrupy consistency. Dry the grapes with paper towels, and paint them with the syrup. While wet, sprinkle with caster sugar).

(Photography by Patricia Lyons)
For a looser, more informal look, let your greenery become the table runner, clipping the ends of magnolia branches and placing them shiny side up along the middle of the table, with candles and wired ribbon among the greenery. Accent with fresh nandina berries, pepper berries or dark purple ligustrum berries. In addition, three to five stems of magnolia make an instant mantel decoration. Sturdy magnolia is perfect for wiring alone, or with pine, into garlands for handrails or fences, into swags for areas under windows or for outlining architectural elements inside and outside the home. Two stems of magnolia tied with a wide ribbon provide a substantive accent for a lamppost or any structure you want to give a bit of holiday dressing. Wire on pomegranates, a cluster of colorful balls, dried hydrangea or celosia, or even feathers for eyecatching ornamentation.
Treating magnolia leaves with glycerin preserves them, makes them more supple and darkens them. Use a solution of ½ gallon water, 2 cups glycerin and 4-5 drops of soil penetrate (available at garden supply stores). Hammer the stem end lightly to open it for absorption, then soak the stems in the solution for two to three days. Because the treated leaves are pliable, it is easy to use them to cover objects—a flowerpot, for example. Place them side-by-side, slightly overlapped, and glue underneath, then tie the middle with raffia.
Skeletonized leaves are gorgeous for pressed flower pictures or for spare, minimalist winter arrangements, and magnolia leaves are the best type of leaf to use. If you have never found them on nature walks, you can make your own by soaking the leaves in rainwater for a month to soften the tissue, then gently rinsing away the tissue from the veined leaf skeleton. If you like more instant gratification, buy them at a craft store. Skeletonized leaves sprayed gold are elegant when coupled with golden pears for a glowing holiday centerpiece.
The same easy snip that makes your table a standout now will stage it boldly again next summer, with a single mammoth white blossom floating in a bowl, emitting heavy perfume. We really do relish every part of this big Southern beauty.

(Photography by Patricia Lyons)



