I have been photographing that strange tree at different times of day and during the different seasons for several years. We named this tree as "Captain Hook" or "Ghost Tree". What do you think, is a good nickname for that tree?
In fact this is a tree that have been smothered by the climber shrub, commonly known as Flame Vine or Orange Trumpet Creeper. This evergreen shrub with its showy red-orange flowers, is original from Brazil, commonly known as Flor-de-São-João in Portuguese. This ornamental climber has become an invasive weed in São Paulo crops. The best show of Flame Vine - Pyrostegia venusta - is in June and July. In this time of the year we can see the Flame Vine climbing on trees all around my neighborhood. Flor-de-São-João attracts many hummingbirds.
Click on photos to enlarge
Truly amazing vine. The first and second photo are spectacular!
ReplyDeleteToo bad these vines wind up killing their hosts. I see a lot of them around here (although the invasive vines I'm used to seeing have tiny flowers, if any at all), they like to climb power poles and trees, particularly ash trees.
Big hugs from a faraway city that would be happy to have you as a guest one day, when you finally overcome your fear of flying - as I always tell you, all you really need is a couple of sleeping pills and/or martinis and you won't even notice you're on a plane! >;D
I like your name Captain Hook as Peter Pan is one of my favorites!
ReplyDeleteWe saw a similar vine wrapping itself around trees on one of our trips to Mexico, but I can't remember the name. I don't recall that it had any flowers though.
xo
The vine is beautiful when it is in bloom, Sonia, but I hate what it does to the host tree.
ReplyDeleteThe vine wrapping to the host tree?? Looks as if the host doesn't have any existence of its own except to fulfill vine's.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures are awesome, I was wondering .. just one tree wrapped up?
Maravilhosas as fotos !
ReplyDeletePoderiam servir de inspiração para un conto do meu escritor favorito: Stephen King !
Sonia, bonita essa série em ZOON ...como sempre muito criativa.
ReplyDeleteHoje é dia de BLOGAGEM COLETIVA em apoio à luta dos monjes de MIAMAR. Pense nisso!
Bjs
Great shots.I like it!Funny tree.
ReplyDeleteIt is truly amazing; beautiful but destructive. Too bad it chokes the life out of other living organisms. The tree looks pretty forlorn! PS. I accidentally erased your address from my "other blogs", and I'm glad that I found you again!
ReplyDeleteSonia! Bem apropriada para o Halloween, very spooky! Bjs!
ReplyDeleteSonia, where were you when I needed you?
ReplyDeletehttp://freefallingskyward.blogspot.com/2007/06/calling-all-gardeners.html
I have since bought two - to plant at the country house - they do not grow like weeds here - too many frosts.
I like the "ghost" tree - do you ever get fog where you live - you should take a photo then!
It's a ghostly looking tree for Halloween!! That vine will kill it poor thing. That is kind of like a vine we have that smothers out anything it gets near and that is kudzu. It's pretty though!
ReplyDeleteVery nice photos Sonia.
I forgot to mention on your last post how wonderfully delicious that keyboard looks!! Makes me hungry!!
Sonia, querida estive ausente aqui do Leaves of Grass. Saudades mesmo. E quando volto, deparo com fotos tão lindas. O template coloridaço é um convite para ficar olhadndo.
ReplyDeleteAgora, a árvore estranha que vc chama de árvore fantasma ou coisa parecida, na verdade é um parasita muito comum pelo interior mesmo. A Aninha conhece deswde a infância. Eu, como caipira da capital só fui conhecer depois de casado em minhas andanças aí pela região.
São estranhas, mas lindas. Devem dar um bom ninhal para os pássaros.
Linda a tua região.
Um beijo grande
ps: parabéns pelo aniversário do blog. Aquele tecladinho alí, deu vontade de comer todinho.
I am not sure that the Flame Vine (For-de-São-João) wind up killing their hosts or it be so destructive, because that tree I have been photographing, is just alive and well, like many others on my neighborhood. So, I will make a post with some photos of those trees showing "before" and "after". And I will do some researches, too!
ReplyDeleteTHANKS SO MUCH FOLKS FOR YOUR VISITING AND NICE COMMENTS!
Hi Letitia, unfortunately I did not see your post CALLING ALL GARDENERS, but I think that your orange shrub climber is not the Flame Vine (Flor-de-São-João) that you see on my current post. It's similar, maybe it is a plant of the Bignoniaceae family or trumpet creeper family. You can see that your flowers and the leaves are a little different from that one you can see on this site:
ReplyDeleteFLAME VINE.
Sonia, chegou a Primavera. Pelo menos aí!!!
ReplyDeleteObrigado pelos ótimos varais.
Bjs
Very strange Sonia, spooky.
ReplyDeleteSonia, li opost todo. Geniais as suas fotos. O nome está ótimo, é a minha opinião. Como de hábito estou mandando para minha filha
ReplyDeleteAbraços, e até mais.
Parabéns pelo aniversário do Leaves of Grass. Sucesso garantido.
Aps
Sonia,
ReplyDeleteThat's a funny name but well suited!
We have trumpet vines that take over but I love them. They wrap themselves around anything but provide beautiful flowers....
Mary
Actually, the first two photos of the tree look like two friends with their arms around each other's shoulders. And the guy on the right is dancing (or drunk) with his right leg slight up and off the ground.
ReplyDeleteVery good eye! I would have walked past it and not even notice the interesting shape.
I just bought a pot of those and kept them in a shady spot all summer and just yesterday planted them in the ground but inside a large plastic pot. So, hopefully they will not spread out of the pot since they do spread by underground rizones. It is also called a Trumpet Vine here and is invasive. The hummingbirds love it.
ReplyDeleteI really like your layout here and what you have done. It is quite attractive. I also have several blogs but am just yesterday beginning a new one with all of the photos over the months from the other blogs being added on this one. In the end it should be fantastic or a fantastic collection of my photography.
If you want to go there you can click on my name here and it will show you the blogs I am working on. The one you should click on to see what I am doing is Brookville, Ohio 45309.
Thanks.
This was my first visit. I will add your feed to my reader.
Sonia,
ReplyDeletecores maravilhosas invadem sua primavera. Bela comemoração para os 2 anos do blog.
Bjos!
Hello Sonia,
ReplyDeleteI don't know what is happening to time..like sand between my fingers. Just came back from a trip to Alaska. Now I am catching up with blogs of my friends and adding some new posts to my own.
Your tree is wonderful, gives living space to many creatures, perhaps birds have nests and raise their offspring between the branches and leaves. It is sanctuary for many others during bad weather.
With Halloween is around the corner. Your tree could become a
Halloween Tree with many branches decorated with jack-o'-lanterns.
Have a nice weekend,
Gisela
This tree is quite spectaular, I'm sure it would look quite frightening at sunset... rather like an evil witch!
ReplyDeleteGreat images S.
ReplyDeleteThat's a nightmare-inducing tree, for sure! Spooky. That vine reminded me of kudzu which has taken over many parts of the U.S. South.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this Captain Hook Tree....It is so sculptural, in a way, isn't it? And that Vine...Amazing! I looked at the links and od course remembered them from when you first posted them....It has such a beautiful flower, Sonia....but I can see how it might choke everything out in it's zeal to climb....lol!
ReplyDeleteI think 'Captain Hook' is a perfect name for this tree, by the way.
Oi,amiga...
ReplyDeleteFazia tempo que eu não passava nos blogs dos meus amigos...uma série de contratempos, fez com que eu tivesse que deixar de fazer as visitas para meus amigos queridos.
Estou de volta com a "corda" toda...rsss...
Estou fazendo já algum tempo,um CD só de árvores brasileiras que vou fotografando por onde passo nas minhas andanças...rsss...mas essa aí é genial, realmente parece um fantasma...a natureza fazendo arte e que arte,meus senhores...rsss...
Sábado tivemos aqui em Campinas um encontro de blogs.Foi ótimo,no prédio da Cinara, do Blog Cinara's Place.Vieram 12 pessoas da região e de Campinas,eu já conhecia algumas do encontro anterior...foi muito bom conhecer pessoas novas.
Sábado vamos para Avaré,talvez ficaremos na Represa,num condomínio que fica ao lado da AABB,minha irmã Marisa tem uma casa por lá.Como é aniversário de dois irmãos,vamos reunir a família,ficarei até quarta-feira ou quinta, se vc estiver por aí,poderíamos marcar um encontro se vc estiver em Avaré,o que vc acha?
Beijos...
That looks fascinating, but somehow scary too... Btw, have you seen the 10 most magnificent trees? you can find it thru google.
ReplyDeleteSonia, I've tagged you! Please see my Wednesday's post for details.
ReplyDeleteAnother tree like that other one you posted time ago, I love. I love its strange feature and I love his lonely there beside that red powder road.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos Sonia as usual.