Hi all,
why pick the leaves of those two plants as opposed to oak etc?
I don't think they offer any particular advantage over Oak (
Quercus spp.) in terms of water chemistry etc.
It is more to do with size and longevity. They are both very persistent. I pick up the
Camellia leaves for the same reason, they last well. I've used these leaves, and Alder cones etc, for a long time, there is more in this thread <"
catappa leaves"> from 2011.
A lot of tropical trees have glossy leaves that are same shape, oval with a drip tip, so
Magnolia grandiflora leaves probably look a bit more authentic.
I noticed that Nelson's "Tannin Aquatics" leaf litter pack had Loquat (
Eriobotrya japonica) leaves, and there is a tree about 25 meters from my desk, so I added some of them. The
Magnolia grandiflora tree is just on the other side of the wall from the Loquat.
cheers Darrel