Burst seed-pods © A. Harrison
I took the above photo not long after a bushfire had swept through the Blue Mountains National Park. The air still smelt burnt. The seed pods of a native tree had burst under the heat of a bushfire, releasing their seeds.
Many plants in the Australian bush actually need the intense hest of a bushfire for their pods to open and allow new growth in the ashes of the burnt forest.
A banksia man © A. Harrison
This banksia pod has also burst open.
Looking at the top of the pod, with its two ‘eyes’ and open ‘mouth’, it’s easy to see why these banksia pods are often called Banksia Men.
Yet more open seeds © A. Harrison
I love the colours inside these pods. The contrast of the red and cream against the charred wood.
Looking at these photos, I can smell the smoke and ash. The smell of a bush fire lingers long after the flames have swept through, yet in a few months the lush softness of the new growth on so many of the plants is incredible.
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Even though I’m now retired, I find it difficult to describe my work as a doctor as I followed less traditional pathways. Sometimes it’s just easiest to call myself a witch doctor.