The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 19 Summer 2016/17 | Page 24

aloes
Aloes and Sunbirds
By the zim aloe chick
The love affair between these glossy-winged creatures
and their sturdy earth-confined soul mates is a
symphony of sweet nectar.
I find it impossible to resist the alluring
‘chu-ee, chu-ee, chuee-trrrr’,
‘tsiu, tse-tse’ or ‘ta-la, ta-la, ta-la, trrr’
of the medley of Zimbabwe’s iridescent
sunbirds that sing out while flitting
around the mosaic of radiantly coloured
aloe flowers in my garden.
Lured by nature’s entertainment channel,
I will sneak out for half an hour and relish
the opportunity to sit and observe these
mutualistic mates with a cup of hoodia
green tea or a glass of chilled white wine.
This is a privilege that we on the African
continent can treasure and rely on as our
complimentary personal therapist.
Sunbirds and aloes share a close,
prolonged, symbiotic relationship. The
love affair between these glossy-winged
creatures and their sturdy earth-confined
soul mates is a symphony of sweet nectar,
protruding pollen, movement and colour.
Our aloes put their water wise necks out
and lift up their striking heads, offering a
dessert buffet, rich with sugary nectar, to
the glorious assortment of sunbirds that
explore the surroundings. A brave sunbird
will probe its beak into the open end of
an aloe flower and then expertly extend
its tongue further, to reach the hidden
nectar. Some cheeky visitors may even
pierce a hole near the ovate base of the
flower, known as the perianth, in order to
reach the irresistible nectar!
Greek and Roman mythology declared
nectar to be a drink from the gods that
sustained their beauty and immortality.
While the sunbirds are extracting their
potion for eternal splendour, the eager
pollen from the benevolent flower
brushes off and attaches to their beak
and feathers. The velvety, shining sunbird
then flies to another aloe flower, and
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White-bellied Sunbird on Aloe greatheadii