Lime Tree Trials
March 15, 2011
Photographer: Greg Rutter
Summary Author: Greg Rutter
In March 2006, cyclone Larry blew over this Kaffir Lime tree (Citrus hystrix) near Innisfail, Queensland, Australia. The trunk was actually lying to the left, as evidenced by the disturbed soil patch. In the ensuing years, new growth sprang almost vertically. However, just a few weeks ago, category 5 cyclone Yasi again laid this tree over; restoring the original trunk to near-vertical alignment. The old trunk fell westward during Larry's lashing, and the new growth is now pointing roughly eastward, which is curious since the wind direction during both cyclones was from the south. -- it was northerly after the eyes of the storms passed by. Time will tell if this battered tree survives a second typhoon in a span of just five years. Note that the stump (trunk) is approximately 5 ft (1.5 m) in height. Photo taken on February 12, 2011.
Photo details: Camera Maker: HTC; Camera Model: HTC Desire; Focal Length: 4.3mm; ISO equiv: 68; Color Space: sRGB.