Tuesday, December 30, 2008

New Zealand plants



These are called Toi Toi or toetoe, they are Maori words.

The plumes form in late spring through summer. It is an iconic plant you can see along the road sides and the beach. They are proud plants withstanding the wind.

In Singapore, florists sell them as dry flowers. Many tour drivers complain that Singaporean tourists request they stop their coach so they can go and pick the long plumes.

When I first arrived in my flat, my girl friends had a big vase of ToeToes and the male flat mates used to admonish them about the danger of stopping the car just to get them.

Alas for my house, the water engineer is allergic to pollens, so I don't get any.

It does remind me of the airport trolleys with their little flags.

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