Old Man of the bush gets a helping hand
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (349735)
Rockingham, Australia
March 28, 2018 9:57am CST
I’ve posted before about an ancient grass tree (Xanthorrhoeaceae) which is growing on the roadside not too far from our home in south-west Western Australia. They used to be called blackboys but ‘grass tree’ is now the more accepted term.
As I said in my previous post, there are about 30 species endemic to Australia. The one in the photo is about 5 metres high (16.4 ft) which makes it at least 200 years old. It has been propped up for some years but now it has a nice young girl preventing it from toppling to the ground.
I’ll add the link to the old post here.
On our way home from the Australia Day celebrations we stopped so Vince could take this photo of a Xanthorrhoeaceae or grasstree. The old name of blackboy is no...
24 people like this
24 responses
@andriaperry (118595)
• Anniston, Alabama
28 Mar 18
That is so cool!
Down in Biloxi Mississippi, USA people have made carvings of birds and fish from the tree stumps left from hurricanes. Takes talent for sure.
4 people like this
@snowy22315 (187049)
• United States
28 Mar 18
That's a big tree, where I used to live..almost directly across from the house was a tree..that was probably every bit of 400 years old..It was humongus.
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@snowy22315 (187049)
• United States
29 Mar 18
@JudyEv Yes, I used to kind of marvel at it, and think just think this was an old tree, in the time of George Washington!
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@JudyEv (349735)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Mar 18
@snowy22315 This one would somehow have dodged getting down/pushed over/burnt up for all that time.
@silvermist (19702)
• India
28 Mar 18
That sure is a very old tree. Really nice of the people who are propping up the tree.Good photo.
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@silvermist (19702)
• India
29 Mar 18
@JudyEv The tree,though old is unique looking.
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@JudyEv (349735)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Mar 18
@silvermist The grass trees are very different to most types of trees.
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@epiffanie (11325)
• Australia
29 Mar 18
Wow! Someone don’t want to lose the old grass tree... ;) ..
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@epiffanie (11325)
• Australia
30 Mar 18
@JudyEv What are those trees good for?.. Are they good to use for timber or firewood?..
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@JudyEv (349735)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Apr 18
@epiffanie The trunks are made of up small sections which make great fire-starters but the residue does gum up the chimney. They are not much good for anything else except as food for native bees and the kangaroos sometimes eat the green shoots.
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@allknowing (143200)
• India
29 Mar 18
Glad that efforts are made to save it. Here in India there is ruthlessness - replacing trees with concrete jungles
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@allknowing (143200)
• India
29 Mar 18
@JudyEv Just curious. Why did you say it was a girl?
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@moffittjc (123368)
• Gainesville, Florida
28 Mar 18
It looks like a palm tree without the palm fronds!
And once again, all the cars are driving on the wrong side of the road! LOL
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40239)
• United States
28 Mar 18
Aw shucks, that's nice that someone propped it up
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@jobelbojel (36623)
• Philippines
29 Mar 18
Lucky tree! Glad that it gets a helping hand.
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@BelleStarr (61355)
• United States
29 Mar 18
That is a really interesting looking tree we have nothing even remotely like them.
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@JudyEv (349735)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Mar 18
We always look for it on that road but were surprised to see the figure propping up the tree.
@JudyEv (349735)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Mar 18
Yes, there is now a nice young girl helping hold up the tree. 
