Before we even moved here, we planted, among other things, a tamarind tree. Probably in 2008. It settled in was growing pretty well when we finally moved here in 2012. When we added the new part to our cabana, we designed its footprint to leave space for the tamarind and its neighbor, the cashew, because we didn't want to try to move them from a spot they seemed to like. Since then, both trees have thrived and grown quite robust.
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| Tamarind tree in the foreground with the cashew behind it to the right. And, yes, the cabana is lurking there behind all foliage! |
The top of the tamarind was at the same height as the back veranda of the addition when we built it in 2015, so easy to reach out and pick the fruit. Now, 7 years later, the tree is level with the upper veranda, making the tree about 30 feet tall in 12 years.
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| View from the upper veranda - we used to be able to see the Maya Mountains in the distance! |
My favorite thing about the tamarind is not its fruit, which are delicious, or its flowers, which are delicately beautiful, but that it is home to many epiphytic plants.
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| You can hardly see the bark for all the plants growing on it. (That is Barnie's old dog house/mansion which she used during the year or so before we had her fleas under control. No fleas now that both dogs are treated monthly with a chewable tablet called NexGuard.) |
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| Climbing fig was the first to grow on the tree and covers the most territory by far. |
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| Mixed in with the climbing fig is resurrection fern, seen here in its un-resurrected state. |
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| And here it has been resurrected after some rain last night. Shiny and fresh, good as new. |
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| Lots going on in this shot - the climbing fig, a dog-tail cactus, and what really got my attention - a small bear's paw fern (Polypodium aureum)! |
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| You can see its fuzzy little golden paw in the center near the top of the photo |
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| I think this one grew from spores on a fern I had growing on the veranda just above. There are also lots of mosses on the tree, too. I think the rough nature of the bark encourages the epiphytes to take root. |
If this little fern is from spores on the plant I brought down here to Belize and which has since died, then it is a continuation of a fern that I have had since about 1980. And that makes me happy.
Proof that humans and nature can coexist with a little thought and careful planning.
ReplyDeleteThe nature is what brought us here, so we do our best to coexist with it. Always rewarding.
DeleteI love your scenery!
ReplyDeleteIt usually looks pretty lush, although things start to look a little tired toward the end of the dry season.
DeleteGlad you enjoyed Juzzie Smith!
DeleteI had never heard him or heard of him before, so thanks for the link.!
DeleteWe rarely think about the fact that when we cut down a tree, we are destroying an entire eco-system but we are. This is absolutely the truth of it and I do love what you have going on there in and on your tamarind.
ReplyDeleteThe tamarind loves its location - sheltered from the salt breeze by the cabana and constantly watered with our grey water system. Apparently those conditions suit the epiphytes too.
DeleteI love your tamarind and your knowiedge of the plants it hosts. Our local Asian store introduced me to fresh tamarind fruit, lovely. Snd I saved the seeds for ages but never succeeded in germinating them. They're a beautiful shape, tiny sculptures.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering about using the seeds as beads for a necklace, but never got around to seeing if a hole could be bored through without destroying the seed. They have such random shapes and are so shiny!
DeleteWhat an amazing ecosystem that one tree creates.
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly amazing to me. And there are no epiphytes on the cashew tree situation next to it. The cashew tree has smooth bark, so I suppose that is the difference.
DeleteSuch beautiful plant life! You probably get a lot of interesting insects too, especially when the tree is blooming?
ReplyDeleteIn general the insect and arthropod life around here is abundant and varied! I'll have to get some videos of the bees, and flies, and wasps that are attracted to its flowers. Even hummingbirds come.
DeleteI've seen photos on the internet of cashew nuts growing from the base of an apple-like fruit. The article I read said that the "apples" were delicious. Is that your experience with your tree? I'm a great fan of cashews...just got a 2 pound order from Amazon today. They won't last long.
DeleteI like the cashew apples if I "stew them up" Belizean style with sugar and cinnamon to make preserves. You can eat them raw in small quantities, but they are much better cooked. The raw fruit is sort of like a super-saturated sponge - very juicy but no crunch or texture. The trees are blooming now with very small, fragrant flowers. I'll try to post some photos of flowers, apples, nuts, and preserves.
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