Caesia (September)

The caps are sealed against the heat: smooth sunset skin. We could travel to New York for their spring, on return know this intense endurance will outlast New York. But what is it, does it? Minni ritchi breathes as it protects, its delicate colours harsh as the granite Great South-West. Its striations are silver days upon mustard days upon crimson days. (Yes, true, thank you.) The caps break, barely millimetres, green and rose, a hundred threads cannot stay inside. A glimpse of the mop of colour pushes the retina. Others of us witness the winter in the Great South-East of the Island Continent, winter that causes this occidental import to flare and burst into red straggles, defying reason. Gungurru (mismatched name) of weeping aspect, of silver splendour, of unexpected bends. What have we got that could improve on its individuality? Its raw multi-textures? Centuries the great waters of the Indian Ocean turned to storm clouds, rushed through the South-West, twisting caesia frames and scattering filaments. What? Why? Wonder. In the end wrote to Donna. She knows the Great South-West. She’s over there, so I said in my email: “Why do the branches hang down? Why does it suddenly die in some places and shoot out in new other directions? Why the silver coating like bird poop all over the branches? And what about the amazing bark with its tough strips that seem laminated to the core?” Reply: “Here’s the goss on EC. It grows in shallow soil, and rocky outcrops, i.e. in the clefts of granite rocks. It’s called Gungurru. It has adapted to wet winters and very dry summers. We call it the Silver Princess, and it hangs down because it’s a Mallee tree which has this characteristic. It appears to die in some places and shoot in others because they have a regenerating root stock that re-grows after fire. Silver coating is part of growing in a dry climate. Suspect the amazing bark is also due to the arid summers. There’s a special name for the bark— Minni ritchie Bark. In the wild there are only 2,120 of them. Honeyeaters are the pollinators because they flower in the winter when there are few insects. Because it is so fire-resistant it’s used as a natural firebreak.  And, Maree (my friend) has a beautiful image of it which you can’t have unless you want to buy  Life on the Rocks by Philippa Nikulinski.  That’s the best we can do for you! Maree accepts chocolate or tea-glasses. And she’s glad you love them. Ciao d.” I already have Life on the Rocks by Philippa Nikulinsky. 2,120? The two domesticated specimens in our front garden look special.