Tough yet vulnerable
Bottle trees (from the boab family) fascinate me endlessly…
Officially called Brachychiton rupestris (which sounds to me like some kind of carniverous dinosaur) is described as a succulent, drought-deciduous tree.
Which basically means (as far as I can deduce) that it stores water in it’s bulbous trunk for drought times (not unlike camels!) and sheds leaves when the going gets really tough.It is an ancient-looking tree, yet wildly popular to modern landscapers…
They are proud and solid and hardy-looking, yet will choose to grow best in the richest of soils and warmer locations…
They can be messy in design, yet somehow almost bonsai-like in their deliberate artistry…
And despite the millions of years of existence as a species, the slightest injury to that unusual often-lifesaving trunk will inevitably fell them …
I feel quite an affinity with this final observation.
Tough and sturdy-looking, yet soft-as-butter and totally vulnerable inside.
9 Comments
Jayne
Love these trees, lovely photos 🙂
Debby
For some reason, that second from the last picture, the bottle tree seems to have a knob for a nose and leans forward with his hands over his head threatening the little trees about him…reminds me of the apple trees in the wizard of oz.
rhubarbwhine
I love Boabs too, and find them just amazing to view. Great photos BB
Mom L
Thank you, BB, for a sight I never see! They are truly amazing trees.
Nancy in Atlanta
Lydia
Wow, these trees are fantastic. I am always fascinated by your natural surroundings. It is so different from the prairie.
Tami
As I LOVE trees…I’ve been intrigued by post which showed photos on these beauties! So glad you decided to elaborate.
Rose
Awww, what a great post!
Wrensong Farm
I didn’t realize they were so vulnerable! They are definitely facinating!
Diane L. Dodd
i wish we had bottle trees in iowa.
they remind me of something from a dr. suess book.
someday i will visit your beautiful world 🙂