These massive trees are a feature planting at Wittunga Botanical Gardens. I am sure they are far from full grown, but they are huge! I gathered fallen leaves from beneath them and since I was playing a game of trying to identify eucalypts as I walked up to them but before I could see their name tags–I guessed they were E Saligna. My eucalypt handbook assures me the two are closely related, so perhaps I’m learning something…
I had a significant amount of plant material relative to this tiny sample, but apparently this tree gives colour. There were, of course, so many beautiful plants. This one is Calistemon Rugulosus var Rugolosus:
There is also a magnificent persimmon tree in the grounds. Perhaps it pre-dates the gardens, since they are focused on Australian and South African plants. A persimmon in autumn is always a glorious sight, but this one is huge and spreading and even more magnificent than those I can see in my neighbourhood right now.
And, of course, it is in fruit–those glowing orbs are just so beautiful… I’ve been investing in a couple each week at the farmer’s market and they are delectable!
Local & Bespoke 
Look at that color! I wonder how your persimmons compare to the kind we have here natively in the States? Are they native to Australia? Are they more like the persimmons from Asia? They are one of my favorite fruits. Many happy memories of shaking down persimmons after the first frosts. Om nom nom.
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These are the edible persimmons from Asia, which seem very unlike North American persimmons I have seen dyers online using. If there is a native persimmon here I don’t know if it. I think this tree might predate this piece of land being used as a botanical garden and go back to when it was part of the gardens of a stately home. Maybe the owners liked persimmons as much as we di!
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We can get the Asian variety in super markets here, but they are very different from our native variety. Ours are small, and when fully ripe, very soft and wrinkly. But the flavor is delightful. Have never tried dyeing with persimmons…
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I don’t dye with delicious fruit either! not unless there is a really good reason they could not be food. Deb McClintock uses what seems to be native persimmon in dyeing. I think I’ve read that Japanese dyeing traditions use persimmon too, but more as a mordant or fabric treatment than as a dye in its own right, if my memory serves me!
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