Colvillea racemosa

I revisited this magnificent tree again today.  I was keen to capture it before the birds absolutely destroy all of the blossoms.  I fear I was a bit too late to really do it justice but I did manage to capture this rainbow lorikeet having a feast on the Colvillea racemose's berries.

I was surprised to hear that there are only two of these glorious trees growing in the whole of Bundaberg.  The tree is native to Madagascar and was named after Sir Charles Colville, a British Governor of Mauritius.

The tree is part of a wonderful garden in Bundaberg.  It's not one of the grandest of gardens, but more a labour of love.  I used to walk past it regularly when I stayed close by with CCN's Mum and Dad.  The owners were very elderly but passionate about their plants and they had absolutely hundreds of them growing in pots under big shady trees.  It was an absolute oasis.  If I could see them working in the garden in the early mornings as I walked by I would always stop and have a chat to them.  I used to really look forward to reaching their fence to see if they were beavering away with their plants.  I was so sad to hear from the elderly gentleman's daughter that he had recently passed away and that they would be having a big "Plant Sale" next Saturday.  His wife would be moving to Brisbane to be with her daughter.  I'm going to select a couple of my better images of the tree and perhaps even this one that I've posted tonight and drop in some prints for my plant loving friend.  Just a way of saying thank you for the joy they brought a wombat as she passed by in the mornings.