I’m writing a book set in a small town in Georgia with a swamp.
The swamp is the heartbeat of the place…and my new obsession. I ordered two books to begin studying swamps of the south so I can write a place that really breathes; a place whose mud you can feel, whose humidity puckers on your skin, whose cicadas are sharp in your ear.
These books are:
- Native Trees of the Southeast: An Identification Guide
- The Book of Swamp and Bog: Trees, Shrubs, and Wildflowers of the Eastern Wetlands by John Eastman
And I’m learning so much. Would you wander through the swamp with me for just a second, and learn from the trees? Thanks so much!!
Water Oaks
These guys retain numerous dead branches. Its wood is of poor quality because of numerous knots.
Lesson: Don’t hold onto the things in life that are dead or will knot you up. You will become of poor quality.
“Commensalism”
A guest organism receives shelter from its host without causing them any harm.
Meaning: I was absolutely fascinated by this word. I’m familiar with the idea of a parasite, an organism who does cause their host harm. But I love this idea of commensalism being sheltered by your host…without causing harm. This is what we do when we’re a guest at a hotel
Mutualism is equally interesting. In this situation, both the organism and host gain mutual benefits. So this would be a good au pair situation—the host gains a live-in babysitter, and the “organism” gains payment and shelter and experience.
May we find shelters where we can either do no evil, or even benefit our hosts.
Blue-green Algae
This algae shields any submerged vegetation from getting sun, which limits their growth.
Lesson: Beware of things that do not allow the light to shine on you; you will stop growing.
This algae also produces toxins called allelopathy. This causes what’s known as the “summer kills.”
Red Maples
These grow best when they’ve been cut, browsed by wildlife, or experienced wildfire.
Lesson: What fascinated me most about learning about the nature of swamps was how resilient they are. In fact, many plants thrive in desolation. It is so inspiring to think of yourself as a tree—though you are burned to the ground, you can have hope remembering that many natural organisms actually thrive after such a tragedy.
Swamp White Oak
The Ceratocystic fagacearum fungus causes oak wilt, which is transmitted by either the grafting of diseased roots with healthy roots, or by squirrels.
Lesson: What I find fascinating was the description of how the tree dies: starting with the crown, then passing down the tree until it furrows its rot into the interior. The fungus will then lurk at the foot of the tree, eager to spread its illness.
Water-Lily
The process of creating new water-lilies is also fascinating. Once fertilized and pollinated, the flower descends below the surface of the water. There, the seeds mature; then, they float to the surface in the aril, and then finally the seeds are released and sink to the bottom of the water to flower in three years.
Lesson: I live life in the fast lane…which gets me in trouble. But I love that nature takes its time. It’s not in a hurry; it doesn’t rush from winter to spring (there would be quite a price to pay). Just let the seasons carry you.
I also love the interesting, big-city vibes happening on the leaf. Each leaf holds so many different creatures. The book refers to it as a census, which is quite charming.
We are all little mosaics of all the people we’ve ever known. Maybe some of them left gashes; others have built their home with us for a few years. Some have blossomed in our shelter. I love that certain actions or words remind me of friends from long ago. How cool is it to leave an impact on the people around you?
If you enjoyed this post or learned something, comment below so I know to make more! I have so many thoughts.
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