Susan Pierson, age 10, of  Natchitoches, la., for her question:

How can a white magnolia flower produce red seeds?

The magnolia tree manufactures several different pigment chemicals. Its green and yellow pigments blend to color the tops of its glossy leaves. Its rusty red pigments show themselves on the underside of its leaves and blend with browns to color its trunk. None of its pigments show in the waxy white petals of its blossoms, but its yellow pigments are used to color the center of the flowers.

Different colors are always present in the magnolia tree. The different paint jobs occur when one color dominates the others. When the petals fade, the reds come forward, and in some cases the seed clusters of the lovely tree are as bright as Christmas berries.