 |
| Is this a maple? |
Before I moved to Switzerland, I hadn't realised how much attention I paid to my natural surroundings (like them or not). I knew which Eucalypt was which -- a lemon-scented gum, a red gum, a jarrah, a ghost gum, a mallee -- not only by the leaves but also by the bark and the type of sap they produce. I knew a sheoak, a banksia, a callistemon, a baoab. A lot of this comes from my parents and their love of gardening, that's for sure. But I hadn't realised how much I took it for granted.
 |
| Or is this a maple? |
Now, here, there are the most beautiful trees everywhere with such distinctive leaves, often acting in some distinctive way in the spring or autumn, and I don't know what they are. It leaves me feeling very much like a foreigner, probably more-so than not being able to speak the language here to the extent that I'd like. I've learnt a few - like chestnut trees, oaks and... well maybe actually that's it.
I thought I knew what a maple was, until I realised there are just so many different trees that have maple-shaped leaves.
Actually, to be honest, even the oak I'm not so sure about. They have rounded edges to their leaves, right? So what is this?
 |
| An oak or not an oak? |
Don't get me started on these fancy things known as 'pine trees'. Holy cow. What is with all these different conifers around the joint! Droopy ones, sticky-outy ones, grey ones, deep green, ones with little seeds, ones with big cones, and I almost took a photo of what I thought was a conifer until I saw its red berries... so maybe not? My pine tree knowledge stops at 'Rottnest Island Pine'. And chances are these aren't that...
 |
| Botanical name: Christmas Tree |
Seems I might need to put a tree-watching book on my list to Santa this year...
