Beginner Gardening: A question of sex, 1 by Ginger_H

Ginger_H wrote:
The largest of my magnolia trees has been blooming it's heart out for awhile now. A friend told me that on one tree you get both male and female flowers...the males come first. When I looked at the first blooms I could see a red ring where the petals attached at the bottom. I picked this one yesterday,but didn't see the red ring...so is this a female?? how do you tell?? or did my leg get pulled big time?