It's been the warmest May on record this year, so it's not surprising that the exotic trees are slow to shed their leaves. This magnificent oak tree stands in Awhitu Regional Park, on the site of the first European settler's house. It's been shedding its foliage from the top down . . .
. . . leaving a circle of crisp leaves on the ground beneath, dry enough to tumble in.
Meanwhile, the native trees are green-leafed and enjoying the rain. This old puriri stands in the same grounds.
And it sheds its beautiful pink flowers on to the ground beneath. They stand out brightly on the tree itself, contrasting with the green.
Two cultures stand side by side in this land. I love them both.
3 comments:
We had some chilly nights last week and that has seen the leaves colour brightly on two flowering cherry trees and the Melia has more yellow leaves which are falling along with lots of the yellow branchlets.
People are reporting blossom on trees in Lower Hutt due to the very warm conditions.
What a lovely expression of two cultures standing side by side; that which is native and that which is imported. I haven't thought of our flora and fauna that way and now will. We tend to rue the invasive species that our brought into our countries and wreak havoc on the environment when there are so many specimens that manage to live side by side in harmony - much like the countries we live in. Thank you for the awakening of thoughts, Juliet.
Thank you Lynley and Penny. Penny, because the native trees are evergreen, the difference becomes quite marked in autumn and winter. Biculturalism is quite a resonant theme here.
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