I love the large Jacaranda tree outside my house, even if it is an introduced tree that self-seeds rather too readily.
But over the last year I have watched a Strangler Fig that some passing bird has seeded in the Jacaranda fork steadily grow larger.
But eventually it will ‘strangle’ the host, as I see so many enormous ones have done in the Wingham Brush. They would be food for the Greyheaded flying foxes and the Whiteheaded Pigeons I see here.
But the Jacaranda is deciduous and allows my solar panels winter sun; the fig will not.
But just look at the spiderwebs in that fork and the fig roots inching earthwards. This is a natural process; I don’t feel I have the right to intervene, like a gardener.
But perhaps I can prune the fig tree later, to keep it from shading my panels…
Yes, I have decided to leave it Elizabeth; it is so very vigorous!
And good to meet you in person Helen. Was a very productive weekend.
Leave it. You can always change your mind if it starts to get too big. Having struggled through the Summer and trying to keep things alive, I would not get rid of anything green!
It looks lovely!!!
Lovely to be a fellow traveller at the Sustainable Futures Convention this weekend in Gloucester. Happy meeting with you Sharyn. Keep blogging.