Kenyan Flora

One of the joys of being in Kenya was the colourful Flora - trees, bushes and smaller plants simply bursting with colour. I mentioned the beautiful Jacaranda trees with their mauve tresses in an earlier post: here they are again!

The next day at a different outdoor site we were surrounded by trees, several of which had a yellow flower. Are they Acacias? The leaves look feathery like the Acacia's - but I'm not sure. Comments welcome!

Incidently, at this site, fluttering round the trees was a flock of what looked like bats! In fact they were large brown butterflies. The Kenyans dread them because they lay copious eggs which hatch into caterpillars that can decimate the new Spring crops. They told us that they pray for heavy rain to coincide with the caterpillars otherwise their crops are ruined. Here's an example of new shoots on a subsistence farm which is they way most people live in the rural areas.

I remember at school during an art lesson that a fellow student, newly home from Africa, was painting Morning Glories around the door of her house. I'd never heard of the flower but encountering them in Kenya I can see why they made an impression on her!

The Hibiscus was a commonly found plant adding another vibrant primary colour to the lush surroundings.

In Becky's garden (Becky is mentioned in a previous post about teamwork) there were many beautiful, colourful plants - and fruits. The garden had been planted by a previous occupant - Dr Jane - leaving a legacy of colour for others to enjoy. If anyone knows the names to any of these, your comments will be most welcome. I do however recognise the fruit of the Avocado tree and those of the Pomegranate tree!