I was standing on the veranda of our country home when I noticed a swarm of little white butterflies milling around the canopy of a rainbow eucalyptus. The tree was in bloom, and as I watched the butterflies fluttering from flower to flower, I could not help but marvel at the wonders of nature. Where did the butterflies come from? Other plants were in bloom as well, but why were they only attracted to this particularly tree? I had no doubt in my mind that the flowers were also pollinated by bees and other insects, but why were they visited by only one kind of butterfly?
On the farm there are several species of flowers that butterflies and bees love to visit. A stone's throw away from the rainbow eucalyptus is a flowering shrub, Buddleja paniculata, better known as butterfly bush because it's a favourite host plant of butterflies. Known in Thai as rachavadee, its tiny, white flowers fill the air with their gentle fragrance from early morning to noon. I have seen other insects hovering around them in addition to butterflies.
ANIMAL ATTRACTION: Wattle, or 'krathin-narong', attracts bees and birds. Photos: Normita Thongtham
Insects, particularly butterflies, also find the blue flowers of a neighbouring Duranta erecta, or golden dewdrop, irresistible. Yet the butterflies that visit these shrubs did not seem to be interested in the creamy white flowers atop the rainbow eucalyptus tree.
There are gardeners who prefer to grow flowering plants that attract butterflies, birds and bees to their garden. They are not after the production of fruit or honey -- all that they want is the enjoyment of seeing the winged creatures in their garden. If you are one of these nature lovers, then you might want to know more about Eucalyptus deglupta, commonly known as rainbow eucalyptus.
The only eucalyptus not native to Australia, the rainbow eucalyptus is indigenous to Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the island of Mindanao in southern Philippines. It is distinguished by a multi-hued trunk which first appears as a bright green when the outer bark falls off, then darkens and reveals a rainbow of colours that include red, blue, purple, orange and purple-brown. Also known as Eucalyptus multiflora, it certainly lives up to its name, bearing clusters of many flowers that, as I had observed, attract butterflies in the hundreds, as well as bees and probably also birds that feed on nectar.
The rainbow eucalyptus is fast-growing and thrives best in deep, moderately fertile sandy loam with adequate moisture. Growing to a height of 60m and a diameter of 2.4m, it is columnar so it does not occupy much space. However, you would not want your house under such a massive tree as a branch could fall on your roof during a storm. Grow it only if you have a large garden, where you can plant it some distance away from your home.
Acacia auriculiformis is not as awe-inspiring as a fully grown rainbow eucalyptus, but it has its own merits. Commonly known in its native Australia as wattle or black wattle (krathin-narong in Thai), it is a very good shade tree, grows fast even in poor soil, rejuvenates the soil with its leaf litter, and has extensive and dense roots that prevent land erosion.
is drought resistant and thrives on neglect but has to be watered regularly until it is fully established. It blooms several times a year, with clusters of yellow, scented flowers that attract bees and other insects. Its pods are rather flat, curved and twisted, and split open when ripe, exposing shiny dark brown seeds that serve as food for birds.
TRUE COLOURS: Rainbow eucalyptus is distinguished by its multi-hued trunk and attracts little white butterflies.
Acacia auriculiformis
Other Australian natives which bees, birds and butterflies find attractive are the various species of the bottlebrush tree, known to Thais as praeng lang kuad. A garden I saw in Phuket had a row of these trees along the fence, and their bright red flowers were swarming with butterflies and bees. I also spotted a tiny sunbird with yellowish plumage, flapping its wings like a hummingbird as it sipped nectar with its long, curved bill.
Bottlebrush trees are a main source of food for nectar-feeding birds, bats and insects in Australia. Belonging to the Myrtaceae family, which includes the guava and the rose apple, bottlebrushes are members of the genus Callistemon, which has about 40 species that range in size from small shrubs to small trees.
Distinguished by their attractive bottlebrush-shaped flower spikes that gave them their common name, bottlebrushes make excellent garden plants and can be grown in Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand. They grow in all kinds of soil but for best results, use loamy soil mixed with compost and decomposed animal manure. Like any flowering tree, they need full sun.
One shrub which bees just couldn't leave alone is Xanthostemon chrysanthus. It was brought to Thailand by a Chiang Mai plant enthusiast who fell in love with it at first sight while visiting Australia.
He named it rak raek pob (love at first sight). When it was first introduced to the market, it was only known by that name, and trying to learn more about it proved difficult. But more on this next week.
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