With only 10 days to go before the 2024 New Year, when I came to Zhongshan Park, near Yujian Lake at Jiuqu Bridge, among the oblique weeping branches with leaves that looked like podocarpus, a bright red flower cluster with spikes like bottle brushes began to sprout. At a glance, the safflower is like a flame of fire, which is particularly rare and beautiful, sending people winter surprises and New Year's blessings, revealing a good omen for the year.
This tree with bright red flowers has an elegant name called melaleuca. The delicate and elegant, beautiful and chic tree posture is like a three-dimensional painting and a silent poemThe needle-shaped leaves that resemble podocarpus hang low with the hanging branches, like willow brushing water, and do not wither all year roundA spike of peculiar shape of the flower is red and vigorous, bringing people a joyful blessing, which is particularly auspicious and warm;Against the backdrop of the reflection of the lake, it looks a little colorful, a little warm, and in the survival law of natural selection and survival of the fittest, it has the brightness and color of its own life. This kind of strange tree can not only be planted alone to show its individual beauty, but also suitable for ornamentation. In particular, it is one of the most popular tree species when planted in groups of three or five in an open lawn, which can highlight its landscape effect.
Melaleuca is also known as bottle brush tree, red bottle brush, Campbell tree, etc., native to New South Wales and Queensland, Australia, blooms every winter and spring, and the flowering period is particularly long, sometimes it can bloom until March. The introduction of China has only a history of about 100 years, which belongs to the positive tree species, likes warm and humid climate, can withstand the scorching sun and heat, and can withstand cold, but also drought tolerance. This kind of tree has been widely used in all kinds of gardens and green spaces because of its beautiful posture, peculiar flower shape, strong adaptability and high ornamental value. Especially in our city, in recent years, a lot of melaleuca have been planted in the construction of green space and green space transformation, not only in the main urban area, but also in Chenghai District's Red Head Boat Park, Fuqian Square, Ningchuan Road street green space and some beautiful villages in Chaoyang have seen its beauty. When they bloom, they are like flames, and they are dazzlingThe green leaves and red flowers are intertwined, which can be called the strange trees and flowers that everyone loves.
In the bleak charm of winter, it is really blessed to be able to witness the beauty of this strange tree and flower. In the cold wind, this chic and natural strange tree and strange flower, the leaves are like willows, the flowers are red, the red flowers are shaken with the wind, and a wisp of autumn color blooms into the rhyme of spring in the garden. Although it is not caring, it has the brightness and color of its own life, and under the reflection of the lake, it is a little colorful, a little warm, with its own unique temperament, forming a unique form of beauty.
This kind of nostalgic mille-feuille red, that delicate and elegant, beautiful and chic tree posture, is like a three-dimensional painting, a silent poem;The needle-shaped leaves that resemble podocarpus hang low with the hanging branches, like the beauty of willow brushing water, and do not wither all year round;A spike of peculiar shaped flowers, densely arranged, decorated with a tree, layer upon layer, forming a bright red bouquet, green leaves and red flowers intertwined, like a small red brush neatly hung on the tree, the color is gorgeous, bewitching and dazzling. The breeze blows, setting off a thousand layers of red waves, especially like the old dry branch of the "wishing tree" on Turtle Mountain, and the low-hanging red flowers are like wishing strips made of red cloth bunches, which are thrown on the tree by people with different blessings. No wonder, people call it the Campbell Tree.