Pictures and Texts | Lujun
Iron trees are not uncommon and are often seen in the halls, doorways and courtyards of some office buildings. But it is difficult for iron trees to bloom, especially in the north, which is rare. As the saying goes, "the iron trees bloom for thousands of years." I always thought that the flowering of iron trees was a miracle and a great thing.
I went to Guizhou a few days ago. When I saw a row of iron trees at the entrance of Fanjing Mountain in bloom, I was pleasantly surprised. It felt so rare.
The leaves of the iron tree grow on the top of the stem, clustering inwards like feathers, hugging the golden flowers that are blooming in the middle. It's a flower, but it's not like ordinary flowers. It looks like a big and tall pine cone standing upright in the middle when you look up close. It looks like a few golden corns standing there when you look at it from a distance. The flowers are neatly arranged one by one. With.
I remembered that I also saw iron trees blooming in Miao Village. The difference was that there was only one flower I saw before, standing straight in the center like a sentinel on guard.
Iron tree, also known as cycad, is evergreen all year round and is of great ornamental value. Whether it blooms or not depends on the temperature. Because the homeland of iron tree is in the tropics, it will not bloom if the temperature is not suitable. However, if the temperature is suitable, old trees can bloom every year. No wonder iron trees in the north rarely bloom.
There are two types of flowers of iron tree: female flowers and male flowers. The shapes of the flowers are very different: the male flowers are cylindrical like the picture above, like a big corn; I have never seen the female flowers. They are said to be oblate, like Large olive vegetables are wrapped in layers, and the flower pieces are like the tail of a phoenix. When ripe, there are red fruits inside, like bird eggs, which are beautiful and gorgeous, and are nicknamed "Phoenix Eggs".
There are many theories about the origin of the name Iron Tree. One is that Iron Tree is very heavy, another is that its stems are hard in texture, and another is that Iron Tree likes iron. One of the flower language of Iron Tree is "Unyielding", which is related to a story.
According to legend, in ancient times, there was a golden phoenix in the south with bright feathers, charming singing and dancing, and was deeply loved by the people. When the landowner found out, he sent someone to capture the golden phoenix and put it in a small cage. He fed him the best food every day and tempted the golden phoenix to spread his feathers and sing and dance for him, but the golden phoenix never gave in. The landlord burned the golden phoenix to death in anger. Later, where the golden phoenix died, a tree with the same tail as the phoenix grew. It had hard stems and leaves. People believed that this was the incarnation of the golden phoenix's soul, so they named the tree the iron tree.
Iron tree also has a flower language, which is "longevity, wealth and good luck", because iron tree is the longest-lived plant in the world. The longest one is said to have lived in Oceania for about 12,000 to 15,000 years. . The longest-lived iron trees in my country are in Sichuan Province and Fujian, and are said to have a history of more than 1,000 years. ?
It is not suitable for iron trees to bloom, but there is something poetic and picturesque about the iron trees blooming. There is a poem by Shou Jing of this nunnery in the Song Dynasty, which says, "The water flowing down the mountain is unintentional, and the clouds returning to the cave are unintentional. If life is like clouds and water, iron trees will bloom all over the world in spring."
If we are in life Be able to stick to your principles like an iron tree, be as carefree as clouds and water, get rid of the shackles of fame and fortune, and wait until the iron tree blooms, and the world will be like a harmonious and warm spring, live a free and easy life, and bloom yourself.
~end~