#12 Tongues in Trees
Quoll rehabilitation, Black Sapote, Heirloom Vegetables, Tree God, Walking in the forest, Leaving some of the wild
Tongues in Trees now exists by the dozen!
Thank you for your support!
This week:
Q is for Quolls and artificial dens
Black Sapote
Permaculture Principle Ten: Use and Value Diversity
The Tree God in the Forest
A walk in the forest
Backyard Biodiversity Tip Three: Leave some of the wild
Don’t forget to let me know if you want me to profile a particular plant!
Q is for Quoll Rehabilitation
Northern Quolls are endangered. The key to their downfall is found in an invasive species, the poisonous Cane Toad which was introduced into Australia in 1935 to combat Cane Beetles in local Sugar Cane Crops. It was a disastrous initiative with Cane Toads avoiding the Cane Beetles and proceeding to invade the Australian continent. The toxicity of the species has devastated a number of predators including the Northern Quoll which is about the size of a large squirrel.
In the 80 years since the introduction of Cane Toads, the Northern Quoll population has reduced by more than 75%. Their demise has been accelerated by their short life span and mating habits. Male quolls often literally run themselves to death in their first mating season as they cover vast distances searching for as many mating opportunities as possible. Females live only a few years.
The good news is that there is evidence that the quolls have now learned not to eat Cane Toads and so the race is on to help them increase their numbers and avoid extinction.
The Brooklyn Wildlife Sanctuary which encompasses a vast stretch of wilderness in Far North Queensland contains some of the surviving population and now they are taking steps to help them breed. They are installing artificial dens in areas known to have quolls. The plan is to extend the range of these dens as the population increases, encouraging the population to expand its range as it expands its numbers.
With the greatest rate of mammal extinction in the world, Australia needs projects like these to combat the many challenges facing native species. These projects are becoming more common which is good news. Sometimes, habitat loss and bad news makes fighting seem futile, but these projects prove that there are still people taking steps towards change.
Therein lies the key. Change in attitudes, changes in practice and change in our approach when dealing with nature will inevitably spread through society, but it needs somewhere to start. All these projects start with big dreams and small steps.
I think it’s a good reminder that small steps still start a journey and that journey may deliver new ways of life on our planet.
Plant Profile: Black Sapote
This South American plant has the beguiling common name “Chocolate Pudding Fruit”, but to my mind it doesn’t really taste like chocolate. It is more like spiced dates but with a chocolatey note every so often.
We have a large tree in our new garden that is fruiting so I plan to do some experiments with it. Apparently it is lovely in cooking and can be used as a substitute for bananas in breads and cakes. I will have to wait for the fruit to ripen. The firm green balls will eventually give way to a dark green before a black colour, but they won’t be ready to harvest until they have the appearance of being slightly bruised and over-ripe. The fruits offer four times the Vitamin C of an orange as well as significant levels of potassium and vitamin A.
The tree is tolerant of most soils, but prefers a moist, well draining loam. It will tolerate some flooding which is good news for Australians right now! Having said that, drainage is key for successful cultivation so in areas that have a high water table, this tree is best planted on a mound. Once established they are drought tolerant, only requiring supplemental watering in extended dry periods.
The tree grows to around 10 metres in a tropical garden, other climates can expect less vigorous growth from this slow growing tree. It takes between four and ten years to fruit. It is also suitable for pots but will flower and fruit less regularly without the soil depth of an in ground planting.
It prefers a position with full sun and some space to grow. It requires little maintenance and is generally resistant to pests, although scale may be a problem.
Like most fruit trees, it can be propagated with seeds but there is no guarantee that the seedling will ever bear fruit.
Heirlooms Help You Value Diversity
Permaculture Principle 10 is Value and Use Diversity. This links to the idea of integrating crops but goes a step further. Many of the varieties we find in supermarkets are the products of years of selective breeding for shelf life and pest resistance, rather than taste and nutrition.
Apart from this approach producing arguably less valuable produce nutritionally, these varieties are also far more susceptible to disease. The Cavendish Banana, for example, is facing a crisis. As all Cavendish Bananas are clones of one tree, they are susceptible to a particular fungus which is predicted to eventually make this variety extinct.
How do we combat this?
Heirloom varieties are still available despite the dominance of the commercial varieties. Heirloom varieties of plants have been bred for many years, but for one reason or another rarely make it to the supermarket. For the home gardener, these varieties offer diversity in the garden as well as different textures and flavours.
In the graphic, there are three heirloom plants that I have grown in my permaculture garden. The yellow pear-shaped tomatoes are a particular winner and I have collected seeds so that I can plant them again. They are juicy and tasty and the plant produces abundantly. Likewise the apple shaped cucumber has provided seeds that will go into my new garden to produce tasty treats for my cucumber loving daughter.
Next time you plant seedlings look for an heirloom variety that is unencumbered by selective breeding for dubious motives. If you then allow them to open pollinate in your garden and save the seeds you will likely have a variety that you can enjoy for years to come.
The Tree God
“Mummy Mummy, we found a tree god in the forest! He’s wearing a crown!”
I didn’t know what to expect when my children came running and calling out excitedly. My moment of wonder came from delight in their imaginations and connection to nature. Can you see the tree god in the image above?
Covered by vines, the tallest tree in our little patch of remnant rainforest stretches above the canopy to create the shapes that delivered the image to fuel the imagination of my children. I suspect it is a Golden Penda or a Fig Tree, based on the shape of its leaves, but we won’t know until we kill the invasive vines that cover it. Unfortunately, this will probably also be the demise of the image as the vines help the face take shape.
If we don’t destroy the vines, the tree may be smothered so they have to go. How wonderful it is that their invasive nature still delivers joy and connection to nature!
One of my favourite books is “The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohllenben. This book changed the way I view these beautiful organisms blowing my mind again and again.
This week I listened to the audiobook during my commute. It’s the third time I have played it. Every time I take away something new. This week I was caught by Wohllenben’s description of a Korean study that measured blood pressure and heart rate amongst other things as women walked in different environments. The results were conclusive. Walking in the forest decreased blood pressure and heart rate while walking in urban environments did not.
To me, this proves that we still need our wilderness. Our health is irrevocably linked to the health of the planet.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough! If you get the chance, read it, listen to it, be astounded by everything that you don’t know about trees!
This week’s free read is inspired by using and valuing diversity. Click here to read Backyard Biodiversity Tip Three: Leave Some of the Wild.