Sunday 29 September 2013

a giant pear tree

When Penny and I walked in Banksia Park yesterday, we admired the old cherry orchard and then headed off along the walking trail. I stopped to read this sign...


(Click on the photo and the sign will 'biggify' so you can read it.)

What old pear tree, I wondered. I looked around. No pear tree here. Only this giant tree I'm standing under...

I looked up. Oh, wow!


Omigod! Is that how big my little backyard pear tree will grow? We don't generally see big deciduous fruit trees in Melbourne, because European settlement only dates from about the 1840s in this area. This would have to be the oldest pear trees I have ever seen in Melbourne.

I had to convince myself it was indeed a pear tree. I still couldn't believe they get so big. So to Penny's mystification I climbed onto the nearby seat to examine the blossom. (She looked away from the horrible sight of me peering down at her.)


Yes! Pear blossom!


Penny and I will be back early next year to see if there's fruit for the picking.

8 comments:

Molly the Airedale said...

We've never seen a pear tree that big! We hope you find pears on it in the fall, Penny!

Dad says that tomato is called Oxheart.

Love ya lots♥
Mitch and Molly

Anonymous said...

Beautiful!

parlance said...

Thanks, Stuart!

parlance said...

Mitch and Molly, we'll certainly go back for a visit to see if there are pears for the taking.

curator said...

Oh, what a lovely marvel that would be, to see a pear tree that size.

parlance said...

Curator, I love that word 'marvel'. Thanks! Yes, It was a marvel.

Lassiter Chase and Benjamin said...

Thats the biggest pear tree ever.

parlance said...

Lassie and Benji, I knew it was a big fruit tree for Australia, but I thought perhaps American and Britain and Europe would have lots of deciduous fruit trees even bigger.