Seed Pods in Abundance

Right now as I sit on my deck looking over a wild and bushy area that was covered in sugar cane twenty years ago, many of the wild tamarinds that grow profusely and are very hardy, actually look like they are dead as they are all covered in brown. On closer inspection, the brown is thousands upon thousands of seed pods.

A variety of trees and shrubs are covered in seed pods right now, and from a distance, gives vegetation a very drab and almost dead appearance.

Women’s Tongue trees are covered in pale beige seed pods that are about nine or ten inches long and interspersed with dark green leaves. The wild tamarinds are almost leafless, and look like dry sticks save for a canopy of rich dark brown pods about six or seven inches in length.

I passed a Pride of India tree yesterday and thought how strange it was that the flowers had all turned brown. Then I realised that the tree’s canopy was a mass of dark brown seed pods about four or five inches long. It was quite striking.

It’s been a very interesting time in Barbados for trees and shrubs because of the lack of rain, something we haven’t experienced to this degree for several years.

If you’d like to read more about Barbados, please visit my other blog, Things Barbados.