If you were asked to design a festively flowering tree for the southern hemisphere Christmas summer holidays you would be hard pressed to come up with something better than the pompon tree (Dais cotinifolia).
Continue reading “Festive holiday pompons”
Distinctive cabbage-trees have succulent stems and large compound leaves that characteristically crowd at the end of branches. Endemic to Africa, Yemen and the Comoro Islands, due to their strong architectural form some species are cultivated as garden plants.
Continue reading “Cabbage-trees – a virtual and literal feast in the garden”
Despite its pretty spring flowers and its summer fruits, the horsewood is known more for the smell associated with its crushed leaves than for its attractive appearance. In South Africa it is commonly referred to by its Afrikaans name, perdepis, which literally means ‘horse piss’.
Continue reading “Horsewood: Slender tree of the forest margins”
An African tree renowned for its beauty is the Cape chestnut, which is a larval host plant of the citrus swallowtail butterfly that featured in last week’s post. We are fortunate to have one of these trees at the bottom of the garden and it is mature enough to flower each summer. Continue reading “The beautiful Cape chestnut: Host to the citrus swallowtail butterfly”
Feeling their roots, comfortable in their own skin, a nest for birds, there are no words for the beauty, splendour, the wonder of our trees. Continue reading “Shady characters in the garden: Celebrating tree-dom”
Early morning sunshine enhances the yellow gold bark of a Fever Tree, patterning the trunk with leaf shadows; a combination resembling rich brocade. This photograph is posted in response to this week’s photo challenge to capture a shadow.
Continue reading “African shadow brocade”
letting nature back in 