Some Sydney trees that make you go "hmmmm"

Carrying on from my last post these are some pics of trees that due to their unusual growing locations make you wonder just how trees do it.....

(I suspect there would be many people who would consider these trees to be unsuitable in their locations...however other than the conflict with hardscape and infrastructure the trees seem to be finding a way to grow wood and support their canopies and root systems)



A beautiful weeping pepper tree (yes a weed) perched above the rocks and first fleet diggings Sydney



Fig at Circular Quay retained in a small raised garden bed that is not in the best health but is having its own way with the man made constraints to its root growth...



Trees in Sydney on the way to ISA 2011 Parramatta.

This year the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) held their international conference here in Oz for the first time. I went down from Qld and spent some time in Sydney a day before the conference itself, travelled up the Parramatta River from Circular Quay.

As is my want I took the time in the cold wind and rain to visit some lovely trees in Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney....



Despite the blue skies when this was taken it was a wet day in the gardens



The 'Dragon's Blood Tree' Dracaena draco still growing on strong despite its over turning in 2009

Luckily the rain cleared up long enough to get a walk in and take some reasonable pics. The partial windthrown Dragon's Blood tree is growing very well despite an early conservative view about its prospects.

Walking on from this lovely little survivor I could not resist taking a pic of a safety sign which I have seen before (on other visits) but never fails to amuse me...I wonder what warning the other trees provide unsuspecting picnic goers...."Look out, going to drop something!".

Seriously though it is good that the fence is there and I presume something about the current health vigour and integrity of the tree's branch architecture has led to the caution...their call based on their assessment all good in my view...more protected growing space for the tree roots.

I then saw some more (I say more because I saw the same work being carried out in Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne) pollarded coral trees Erythrina sp, I admit to liking the idea of retaining these flowering trees (which are environmental weeds mind) intensively managed in this way. I look forward to watching their development year after year of pruning cycles.

I also saw this international sign explaining just what those strange plstic tubes are attached to so many trees...made me smile too...

Then of course (had to be reallly eh?) there were the figs...those magnificent bastions of not just the history of white settlement here in Sydney where the English started the colony...but for some well before any European even thought about settting sail....

Root barrier anyone???  :>)

 The Domain

Just to show that I do keep my eyes open even when walking through city streets some tourist shots of the Rocks around the Harbour Bridge...if you ever get the chance to walk through the markets there I can wholeheartedly recommend the corn cobs, butter and chilli!

Some very touristy shots taken at night...