Tale of Two Trees
Upside Down
Alongside flowing rivers one sees life to impress, big or small birds always first to get us clicking like the Goliath Heron seen here at the start of the walk, now entering into the wooded area one witnesses different types of life, so the tale of a young Baobab unfurls ending with another beauty in a flowering tree.
Too much of anything can lead to disaster.
Stories about the Baobab go along the lines of god Thora did not want in them in his garden, threw them over the wall and they grew upside down, never giving up on living, the tree continued to grow.
Strange stories about this unusual tree around the fireside, it offers some shade in the summer, an exotic fruit renowned for it's healthy-life uses, pollen used to make glue, leaves that can be eaten when boiled. (Not sure who climbs the trees they have a smooth texture and leaves are pretty high up!)
Oh, the bark is used to weave baskets, mats, rope, paper and cloth. Talk about a tree giving much of itself if treated in the right way, locals who do strip bark to use, know not to harvest too much from one tree as it will grow the bark back again, greed can lead to killing trees where too much bark is removed.
When out walking we have watched this tree grow, being deciduous they shed leaves annually, with finger like branches reaching toward the sky during winter not a leaf in sight, giving it the root affect during the winter more than summer months.
Sadly this one did not make it, with soil too wet along the coast it eventually toppled and fell, a young tree in the wrong climate for it to thrive and grow into a giant of a tree the ancestors have many stories to tell.
Pieces left cut smaller, obviously still to heavy to move this tree must have been saturated, look how fibrous the trees is. New branches are now starting to grow currently, perhaps one piece will regenerate new life.
A Tribute to Africa’s Tree of Life
At the heart of the African plain
Stands a tree both old and sage:
A survivor of sunshine and rain
Silent witness to many an age
But this is no ordinary tree
For her trunk is hollow inside
And faithfully she keeps unseen
The secret of her native tribe
For her cave’s a place of birth
A haven safe from danger
This womb of Mother Earth
Is Africa’s child manger
The Baobab stands proud and strong
She serves her people as midwife
It’s been thus generations long
She’s Africa’s great Tree of Life
Colour Your Life
Finding the Coast Hibiscus is more the type of flowering tree to find along our coast, so to bring some cheer and a smile this tree is also known as a wild cotton tree, lagoon hibiscus or tree hibiscus, has been known to be planted on pavements offering a tremendous amount of shade.
Once a year this tree flowers where you find two shades on one tree in our local parks, yellow and orange (I believe some come in red as well), it has massive leaves the size of an adult hand, you can see by the flower how it is related to the hibiscus.
Find them along lagoons, rivers near estuaries from the Eastern Cape all along Zululand coast when out walking, they love the wet sandy conditions. Normally flowers arrive during late summer, if ever you end up on the riverside for a day it most definitely is a tree that will bring a smile to your face for shade.
Tree is used for living fences and bark also may be made into rope, everything has a purpose when given opportunity in the right place.
Goliath Heron has absolutely nothing to do with the trees, it will be found down on the river fishing around, enjoying the trees sheltering him from prying eyes and camera's.
Thank you @old-guy-photos for hosting Tree Tuesday tag every week, @tattoodjay for getting us out to walk on Wednesday Walk tag, walk and share what you see! Make Me Smile tag with @elisacheng
Thought for Today: "When many trees fall on top of one another, a wise man removes the one on top first." ~ African Proverb
All photography is my own using a Canon PowerShot SC730 HS, resized to load easier, writing is my own.
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Hello beautiful, I wish you a happy week, I have a party on Mondays so my week starts today
what a beautiful walk and I love the bird
Good idea to party on Monday shorter week to have more fun outdoors hopefully, have a lovely week and thanks for visiting.
I love the baobabs lady Joan and up in the northern countries of Africa they make stunning scenery. Can't remember if I saw a picture printed in my memory in Sossusvlei or elsewhere.
That Heron is also a great shot as well as your KZN brand of Hibiscus trees!
Blessings!
Some areas down here the baobab does settle quite well, Limpopo region is where they thrive all the way into Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Goliath Heron a regular along the rivers along with hibiscus trees, I am sure you have seen them they are ever present up and down this coast including wetland areas.
I traveled in all of those areas Lady Joan and I remember in one town a tree was so big that a guy built a bar inside its hollow trunk.
But it was a long time ago.
Goliath Heron, yes, I have seen and snapped. Beautiful birds indeed.
Blessings!
Giant Sunland Tree eventually collapsed with a grand old age under the belt....
Always so sad to see a fallen giant Lady Joan.
But such is time and life.
Blessings!
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Great shots on your walk, Joan. The baobabs tree gives so much. I always say trees are the guardians of the earth and without them we couldn’t survive.
Love seeing the heron. He looks a lot like the Great Blue Heron that comes this way in the warmer weather.
Baobab of all the trees has a unique signature in whatever surrounding it is found in over here, yes good guardians to all that have the pleasure of enjoying them properly.
Large heron is very similar to the one you have, you really cannot miss them by the sheer size, thanks for visiting and have a wonderful day.
Thanks for sharing your WALK and SMILE...
The young tree that didn't survive the harsh weather... 🥺 But then I guess new life will sprout from there and it will be stronger... Love the nature...
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Too much water, roots could no longer hold the tree up being a tree that thrives in dry regions. Some new life is sprouting from the logs laying on the ground.
Great post
Great to see you still here, trust you are well, a belated happy new year @ianstevenson
Howdy joanstewart! this is a wonderful wednesday walk, the phots are great and I particularly like that big Heron!
I stand to be corrected but I think the Goliath is the largest of all the heron family. Thanks for visiting Janton.
It looks like a huge bird indeed joanstewart, I've love to watch those big birds walk around and catch fish!
What a beautiful walk! It is no wonder why the heron is called the Goliath, it is huge! I just love trees that have so many uses, giving all of itself and the poem is beautiful. Of course the flowers are very pretty too. Beautiful photos! : )
Nature is always rewarding us with surprises around every corner, thanks for visiting and kind comment.