ONE MOMENT IN TIME
Getting acquainted
with a balloon plant
IT WAS the tiny flowers
that first caught my eye.
They were no bigger that
a grain of corn.
I had no idea what it was. The plant had
grown wild amongst the lavender in our
front garden.
I transferred it to a safe, fallow, side
between our property and a small patch of
natural bush.
Aside from watering it as part of my
routine watering of our garden, I did not
give it much thought.
Then I noticed strange fruit; so
unexpected in shape and form from those
tiny flowers. Was it toxic? Was it harmful in
some way?
After some queries via Facebook and
the help of a friend, I learned that this plant
was from the milkweed family and called a
balloon plant.
Those more down to earth, have
referred to it as "hairy balls". I watched its
progress
06
By ALFREDO
'DING' ROCES
It is said to be the favoured roost of the
monarch butterfly.
Soon the "fruit" slowly opened to reveal
tiny seeds attached to fluffy puffs that could
send it airborne by a gentle breeze.
And now we have discovered a visitor
enjoying a meal among its leaves.
Will this worm turn into a butterfly or
end up a meal for birds?
Let us wait and see. n
ALFREDO ROCES is an artist,
photojournalist, and book author
living in the Sydney suburb
of Davidson; an octogenarian
who in retirement continues
to love life and to capture its
wonder with his paint brush, his
camera, and his words. Roces
has opened his ‘gallery archive’
to AK NewsMagazine for readers
to follow and enjoy each month.
MARCH 2018 | AK NewsMagazine, Vol 8 No 6
www.kalatas.com.au