“Jewel of the Desert”

Eucalyptus macrocarpa is one of the most delightful surprises we had in Western Australia. I’d call this gumtree a bush, as it doesn’t grow tall from a main trunk. Instead, it spreads long branches just from above the ground. The leaves are light green-grey, and if we weren’t in the desert, I would have said they were frosty. However, the color and texture are meant to protect the tree from the scorching sun of Western Australia’s desert. The delight though came from the flowers. They are giagantic, at least 20 times bigger than the eucalyptus flowers of most other gumtrees (they reach up to 10 cm in diameter). The size and color of these flowers, intense red, made me think they were roses. I took the picture of this Eucalyptus macrocarpa in the Kings Park and Botanic Garden in Perth, with sweat dripping on myself and the camera – 40 degrees Celsius – but I simply could not stop looking at them, smelling and touching them… The park is rich in native flora and a pleasure to visit. It had boab trees, tuarts and grevilleas specific to Western Australia, and it also offered expansive views of the city spreading over Swan River to the Indian Ocean.