Ficus burkei soaking up sun

Lavish branching of this Ficus burkei tree next to the Vermont Salt Pan near Hermanus indicates happy life for the tree in its agreeable surroundings between town and open water. Its northerly brethren are no less happy on termite mounds in the bushveld.

At home is a term referring to comfortable existence of durable tenure, at least for some. People and plants start off where their ancestors used to live or in new regions where migration takes them. Ficus burkei seems to not having been known to live naturally in the Western Cape until a few decades ago.

Many things change, including the domicile of species. Where climate, soil, pollinators and a few more variables fit, a species may go, and a tree may grow; or stubbornly resisting leaving “home”, refusing to grow elsewhere. Xenophobia on the up in our time occurs when foreigners are given a hard time.

This tree seems to be welcome here, no ifs and buts, all turned into candy and nuts. Go check the waterbirds at the Salt Pan and greet a new tree friend if you don’t know it already (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002; Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997; Pooley, 1993; iNaturalist).