Bunya Pine

For International Urban Sketchers Week 2024 I went to draw this unusual looking tree in a suburban street. A gardener came to ask why I wanted to draw this ugly tree. He told me he'd removed some branches without getting Council permission as the heavy branches with their sharp pointy leaves were a danger if they fell. This really tall Bunya Pine is endemic to Australia and harks back to the Mesozoic era when dinosaurs might have played a part in the dispersal of its pine cones. It played a significant role too in the culture of the indigenous people who held large Bunya Festivals to feast on the edible pines. The base of its trunk looks like a HUGE elephant's leg. The more I've read about this tree since this sketch the more I find it a fascinating tree! 

#Sailorfude pen, marker, #Stillman&Birn Nova Series (beige), 8.5" x 5.5".

#uskweek2024 #uskmelbourne