MELALEUCA, WHITE SAMET OR CAJEPUTI
Some simply call me "paperbark tree." Others know me and my close relatives as "tea trees." The names people have for me are of little importance. What people should comprehend is the focal role that I play for this very unique planet. Let me explain: I carry within me a primordial responsibility. The earth is my heaven and the heaven is my earth. People see me from below looking up, but I see things from the opposite perspective. Much like an anchor holding its mother ship, I give this planet its place in the skies. With my mighty limbs and filigree leaves, I affix myself to the heavens. With my powerful roots, I grasp the very core of this earth and hold it tight. My colossal trunk is built to withstand all kinds of storms and tremors and to form a bridge between the two: the immortal skies and this living planet. It is my mission to buttress this earth toward the heavens and bolt the heavens tightly to this earth. What would occur if this planet were to fly away, to become another lost sphere, to drift back to the other lifeless, celestial bodies in space? Herein lies the secret of my godly pact.
I wish at times that I could take a hike to the horizons, like many a person around me. With giant, tree-like steps, I would bound to the corners of this earth to peer over the other side.
But no, I must not move from this spot. I must hold on to this earth. In the course of time, many things have come to me. Even the famous Captain James Cook landed on my shores. He arrived very strangely on his ship "Endeavor," which looked much like a miniature island decorated with tall trees and large banners of cloth. I was already 150 years old when his crew came out with hungry bellies and feasted on the mainland bounty. From my leaves, they brewed a tea which proved to be healing in its powers. This tea made me famous in their ranks. The Endeavor’s officers even placed pieces of me between the pages of a big book and showed them to the kings and queens of Europe.
My bark is communicative like skin and has much to tell. A little like the leaves in people’s books, its papery layers are easily flooded with light, and, if you look closely, you may see a story or two emerging from them.
Home:
Australia, Queensland, Cairns, Palm Cove
Tree species:
Melaleuca leucadendra
Tree family:
Myrtaceae, myrtle
Common Names:
Paperbark tree, tea tree, white samet, cajeput tree
Motivation:
Anyone who has had the pleasure of visiting these majestic Melaleuca trees in Palm Cove can only fall under their spell. These grand trees have been witness to the developments of this earth for well over 400 years, including the landing of Captain James Cook’s Endeavor in the year 1770.