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...

Wire rope bridges and rigging in trees

Ever since I was a small child I have really liked walking on rope bridges...suspension bridges made out of wire rope usually though sometimes fibre rope, or similar. I suspect partly because as a small child I used to cross this one every now and again...

Suspension bridge across the Lembing River, Sungai Lembing Malaysia

Now it is pretty sturdy [for a 100yr bridge] compared to others that I have walked across in more recent times...

Wire rope bridges on Mount Tamborine

I think it is a very important to be able to get people closer to the canopies of trees, to experience a perspective of the bush that is rarely available. It is perhaps possible for the open minded person to suspend [sorry could not resist!] their human perspective and see the forest as a glider or a small bird might, flying through the midstorey. 

We almost always percieve trees as filling or taking up space...but to a great many living things it is rather the spaces between that define the woodland or forest environment. Rope bridges certainly focus the mind on the concept of the space between stems...the higher the bridge the more focussed the mind I guess!

Bridges from northern NSW subtropical rainforest

As I said I really like going on these sorts of bridges even though they might [as the last few did!] move around far more than you might like...I get sea sick quite easily!!!

I wish there were more places where people could easily access 'higher' views of the woods and forests...it might just stimulate a different way of looking at and thinking about the trees in the bush.

Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne

Every now and again when the daily drudgery of work is getting almost too much I am reminded of just how lucky I am to be able to travel around this huge country to visit remarkable trees.

The last two weeks have been a case in point, just starting to mentally recover from almost a month of assessing cyclone damaged vegetation in North Queensland, when we get a job down in Melbourne, at the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Now of course as anyone who has read any of my posts will know I just love Botanic Gardens, especially if they contain older established trees..Melbourne has some magnificent trees dotted all around the city and suburbs as well as in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Despite coming down with a nasty flu the afternoon sun highlighted some of the timeless qualities of spring foliage casting dappled patterns under the tree canopies.
 

Perfect spot for a picnic

 

Canopy above

There are certainly some favourite spots for daydreaming through the afternoon...

Though clearly not everyone has the same concept of lazying away the afternoon!

Puppies go wild

Not all of the trees are inside the garden walls, one of my personal favourite trees in Melbourne can be found on Punt Road just before it crosses the Yarra at the Hoddle Bridge..its a Golden Elm ~ Ulmus glabra 'Lutescens'.

Escape the road rage

Woodland in the city

This gorgeous weeping Golden Elm is being cared for through the efforts of The Friends of the Elms in Melbourne. Since the first time I saw this tree in 2006 its health has not visibly changed all that much, it remains for me a perfect example of why larger spreading street trees are so important to the quality of life of the people who live near it (lucky buggers) and those that pass by it in their daily commute.

Brisbane streetscapes new and old

As always these posts reflect my opinions about the topics I discuss, they are written with the knowledge that there are divergent views about every aspect of trees in our urban environment. It is my hope that my ideas are presented in a logical and rational manner and substantiated by the evidence available to even the casual reader.

The efforts to enhance the pedestrian environment are evident many Brisbane streets and are particularly clear when walking from Fortitude Valley train station up St Pauls Terrace.

The planting beds and benches that have been created on both sides of Brunswick Street are looking well established the Kauri Pines have grown significantly and are still young enough to have relatively dense foliage just at the height of the building awnings - visible greenery to the person on the street.

Sure it could be pointed out that in time these trees may well produce fruit that are frustrating to many street users, however leaf flower and seed drop are all part of normal growing patterns, and personally I have little problem with this aspect of trees' life cycle.

These planter beds have managed to reclaim some of the street for pedestrian users from the all powerful and all demanding motor car...and that in itself is (in my mind) a great move forward, to be truely effective there are other factors that have to be managed..but this is a good beginning.

It is interesting and thought provoking to compare this new streetscape with the older streets of St Pauls Terrace and the truely wonderful little Rogers Street.

At the top of St Pauls Terrace there's a line of mature figs which seem to have survived due to the presence of a school in the property fronting onto the street. None fo the attempts to install street trees on the opposite side of the street have been successful.

Rogers Street which also benefits from being adjacent to the school grounds and contains some fantastic examples of Brisbane street figs.

Now there is no question that the new plantings along Burnswick Street are a huge improvement for people (a great many people) passing through the valley, but I am confident that the majority of street users would prefer to be walking under the canopies of these beauties....

Yes I know that these figs are a nightmare for engineers, they disrupt the footpath and the kerb and channel....there's no question about that...

But personally I think it is a cost (and a small one relative to other rewards) worth paying for all the magnificent benefits they bring to our otherwise barren and hostile urban environment.

There are ways that trees like figs can be incorporated into new planned streetscapes, as with many of the challenges we face in city living it comes down to just how much you want something and are prepared to give up to have it.

I really hope as we get dragged kicking and screaming into the realisation of just how messed up our urban lifestyle is and the cumulative negative impacts it is having on everything around us (us included!)..that more and more of us will demand tree lined boulevards that reclaim space for pedestrians and the trees that make those streets places people enjoy, and actually gain benefits from being in.