Exploring Pigeon Valley: Two signs of Spring
The riches of Pigeon Valley Nature Reserve explained by Glenwood resident and chair of the Friends of Pigeon Valley.
This is the 37th in an ongoing series that highlights the riches of Pigeon Valley, the urban nature reserve in the heart of Glenwood. The focus of this article will be on two signs of Spring: the Bridelia micrantha (Mitzeeri) and Scadoxus puniceus (Blood Lily).
People sometimes say that indigenous plants are not as colourful as exotic plants. This is a confusion, based I think, on a comparison between indigenous plants in a natural setting and cultivated plants, often exotic, in a garden. Rather compare natural areas here with natural areas in South America or Europe, and you will see that all are mostly green!
The colour is of course here if you look for it. Here are two examples of the colour that spring brings to our natural areas. The first is the sudden flush of gold and coppery leaves of a tree that gets minimal attention over the rest of the year.
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What is remarkable is that the leaves of the Bridelia micrantha (Mitzeeri) are translucent – the light of the sun comes through strikingly. These colours do not last long, but while leaves turn to a medium green, they retain the translucence. This tree is also a host plant for butterflies such as the Giant Charaxes and Morant’s Orange.
The second is Scadoxus puniceus (Blood Lily), a plant that appears from beneath the ground, as the stalk rises from its underground bulb. It produces a rich head of flame-like flowers that attract many insects. This stunning plant is another sign of spring.
Crispin Hemson chairs the Friends of Pigeon Valley, a group that undertakes clearing of alien plants, keeps records of bird and mammal sightings and alerts management to any problems.
The Friends have a monthly walk at 7.30am on the second Saturday of each month. Email: friendsofpigeonvalley1@gmail.com.
