Amherstia nobilis, alias Pride of Burma
Dumped by a neighbor. An unsightly, crooked scrap of a plant. It got a place in the backyard, behind a wall, out of sight. Only to suffer further neglect.
But, honoring its generic name, it appeared very forgiving. One January morning, greenish ‘tails’ appeared, drooping from the end of its branches. In a few days the unfolding buds turned red. Not much later the Amherstia looked stunning with a spray of dangling crimson flowers.
It deserved a better place, although being dug up is not the favorite trick of a tree. Still forgiving, it now shines as a solitary in full sight.
February 2015, by Karolien Bais