Photo of The Day #36
Australian Tree Ferns Growing in the Wild
I have always loved flora and fauna and have several plants I am most partial to. One such species is the Australian Tree Fern. I travel extensively, but have never been exposed to so many ferns. I am most partial to this particular plant as a result of its lovely umbrella of fern leaves, branching out from its trunk. It strikes me as an anomaly of the fern species and has a grandeur more regal than any other fern in my book.
Baby Australian Tree Ferns
As you drive between Guayaquil Ecuador and Cuenca, a little above sea level, at the base of the Andes, you run into about a 15 mile stretch, where the ferns grow wild in forests and the sight is absolutely beautiful. I have only seen them as potted plants in Texas. I have never been able to photograph this brilliant parcel of the highway. Fortunately this time I was able to capture a few photos from the car. Enjoy nature’s bounty!
Australian Tree Ferns on Side of Mountain
“Here and there a tawny brook prattled out from among the underwood and lost itself again in the ferns and brambles upon the farther side. Save the dull piping of insects and the sough of the leaves, there was silence everywhere–the sweet restful silence of nature.”
~Arthur Conan Doyle, Sr. (May 22, 1859-July 07, 1930)
