When we first moved to Perth in the 1970’s, Hyde Park had many of these huge pine trees: Norfolk Pines.
That was around the time the amount of rain the South West of Western Australia, including Perth, began decreasing. Over the years, the level of ground water has dropped, and the pines have mostly disappeared. I don’t know which drought it was, but there were not as many. The ones at the William Street corner at the moment are being raided by the black cockatoos for their pine cones. The remains of the cones cover the ground and next time I walk that way, I’ll try to take decent photos.
This is one of the few pines remaining. I don’t know how old it is, but it now has to be lopped to keep it clear of the heavy transmission lines (that I was able to keep out of the photo). Despite its disfigurement, it’s still beautiful.
The Morten Bay figs of Hyde Park. There are so many, all of them huge.
Some photos of the huge buttress roots of the Morten bay fig:
Branches – these are as fascinating, beautifully sculptural:
That’s enough of those for the moment (though I can never get enough of them). The next is, I think, a dead cloud blossom tree, all tangled in with a Morten bay fig.
It’s bark is filled with fascinating sculptures. One looks like an ear to me 🙂
Then we have the beautiful plane trees. No, not native, but lovely all the same.
Their branches are beginning to show as the leaves lose their full thick green and begin to thin,
This is neither plane tree nor Morten bay fig. I don;t know what it is. There are quite a few of them in the park. It’s huge and beautiful.
Now we come to the Jacaranda trees. Beautiful things, in all seasons.
I love the tracery of their branches against the green of their feathery foliage and the intense blue of the sky.
And that’s where I will leave it for the moment. I can take photos of trees for hours. Can sit and look at them for hours, but I don’t really mean you to have to go through the same thing 🙂
Still, I hope you have enjoyed these.
Keira 🙂
mtlawleyshire 