Here
on this land
standing tall.
Proud warriors
oft with
spears aloft.
To them
fire
brings renewal.
A symbol
of hope
of strength.
Come
my friends
they say.
Let us
rebirth
these lands.
Grow
among the
blacken soil.
Take
the ashes
goodness within.
We shall
once more
be homes.
We shall
once more
be nurturers.
Standing tall
on this land
here.
In August 2018 (the Grass Tree on the left – you can just see the spear rising to the sky
A few days ago
In 2014 The Spotted Gum tree trunk is the same as the one in the previous photo
Xanthorrhoea or Grass Trees
They are ancient hardy plants that survive poor soils and respond to bushfires by flowering!!
Grass Trees are slow growing. They increase in height around 25mm or one inch and in some cases, in better soils, can grow 80mm or around three inches a year!! The Grass Tree in the foreground of the burnt ones is over 2 meters or about eight feet tall.
They survive fire as the growing point is under the ground. They have a root system, where microbes called mycorrhiza surround the roots in a symbiotic relationship bring nutrients to support growth.
The trunk is a mixture of the old leaves and a resin that they exude. The length of the skirt can indicate the last time a fire went through this gully. Compare the top and bottom photos.
Ref – https://www.bushheritage.org.au
Nature certainly is wonderful. If only our species realised we are part of nature, instead of trying to control it.
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For a supposedly intelligent species we are so stupid.The Aboriginal people looked after this land for 60,000 years and in 200 white people have destroyed almost 70% of it
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Can’t argue with a word of that Brian. Sadly.
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Thank you for introducing the grass tree to us. I love these images!
Standing tall, indeed. 🙂
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They are amazing plants and one of my all time favourites on my place 🙂
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A good rundown on the Grass tree or ‘Gin.’ It is a so highly adaptable tree the Aussie climate.
I am always a bit bemused when I see them selling in city nurseries. As their chances of survival are slim unless your soil has those mycorrizal bacteria present. And these pot plants have not been grown from seed, so they must have been removed/saved due to land clearing.
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Clarence Landcare were gifted some from the RMS when they were doing roadworks and were removing vegetation to widen for friggin’ trucks. We relocated them to a project and they are doing well. We managed to convince the digger to leave as much soil as possible. A fire has gone through that area and I hope the Grass Trees survived. They had long enough to establish I hope.
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I hope so too. Are you involved with a landcare group in the Clarence delta?
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No. I am a Landcarer for my place and the vice-chair of Clarence Landcare Inc which covers most of the Clarence Catchment. I live too far from the river mouth and estuary
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What sort of activities do the Landcare group do? Tree plantings?
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That is a hard question. Planting trees is just part of what we do. Bushland and riverine rehabilitation and restoration. Protecting threatened species, ensuring biodiversity occurs, assisting landowners with sustainable agriculture…..the list is endless
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I do like the sound of that. Especially assisting landowners with sustainable agriculture. When I retire, I might explore a local Landcare group, seeing as we have an Eco corridor around the corner (literally, not figuratively). Lol.
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That’s excellent. There is sure to be a group near you
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