The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-03-08
BUSHES IN THE SHOWERS.
Small Florida Tree That Turns o
Beautiful Crimson When the
Rain Falls ON 1t.

"Among the many wonders of those
strange swamps there is nothing more
surprising than the blushing taee,"
said Albert F. Dewey, of Punta Gorda,
Fla, who, according to a local ex-
change, recently passed month in
the everglades of Florida.
''The blushing tree" continued Mr..
Dewey, sis by no means common. 1t
is found only in the densest thickets
of those interminable maj shes, whose
luxuriant vegetation is a revelation to
explorers. 1t is called the b ushing
, tree by those who know it because it
actually bushes when the rain falls
upon it. The pheno menon is appar-
emily incomprehe- sible. 1t never fails
to astound these who see it for the
first time. The mysterious and beau
tiful glow of color which it assumes
in a rainstorm battles description. The
Seminole Indians, who once ruled
Florida, have always known of the
tree, and in their musica language.
now fast disappearing, have words
! which mean the maiden tree. which
reddens at the coming of her lover.
the rain
''In company with taciturn Indian
guide I journeyed 40 miles to see this
marvellous bit of vegetable life.
could scarcely believe the story he
told me, yet curiosity at length over
came incredulity, and we set forth
one morning in small canoe. We
spent nearly three days padding and
polling our way over the winding wa
tiers. In the afternoon of the third
day began to wonder if he had only
been deceiving me for the sake of the
boat hire and his pay as guide, when
pointed to the right.
"Distrustfully followed him ashore
and through the underbrush. Beneath
great cypress trees, hoary with the
gray hanging moss, and past immense
bay trees we wendell our way inland
Eagerly he led the way until reaching
the edge of a little open space he
stopped, and with silent pride pointed
toward the center. Gracefully a tree
with broad, banana-like leaves reare'
itself aloft. Widespreading branches
hung down, slightly waving in the
warm breeze. Its emerald-hued TO-
liage was the most beautiful 1 had
ever beheld. 1t rose to height OF
20 feet and it's thick, substantial trunk
indicated many years of existence.
This, the old Seminole informed me,
was the blushing tree
II told him to prepare to camp here
until it rained, regardless of time. We
unrolled our blankets, stretched our
mosquito bars, without which one
cannot sleep in the glades, cooked sup
per and rolled up in our blankets for
the night. That night, the day fol
lowing and the next night passed
without rain.
81 began to think it would never
rain, when about noon cloud dark
ened the sky overhead. put a rub
Der poncho over my shoulders and
fixed my eyes on the green and pref
ty tree a dozen yards away. 1t was
covered with a greenish insect, the
size of large woodtick, which inten-
sified it's color. The rain began to
fall in torrents, after it's custom in
that region. Beside me, grinning con-
fidently, with pipe in his mouth.
stood the Seminole.
Gas the cool water drenched the tree
I was amazed to note changing of
color. Gradually, yet Enthusiastically,
the green hue was giving way to pink.
The Indian had told the truth. The
tree was blushing at the Pain:
"In few minutes the green had
faded from sight. Only in few half
hidden spots beneath broad branches
and on its trunk was there large
tint of green to be seen. The tree
was as pink as the cheek of healthy
girl.
AFTER an hour or more the shower
passed over, and / watched with no
less interest the wonderful tree as
sumo it's familiar green once more.
AS it was changing back to emerald
suddenly realized the secret of the
phenomenon. The tiny insects and
not the tree itself changed color
These peculiar parasites are possessed
of the power of chameleons. In the
bright warm sunshine they are green
err than the tree on WHICH they live,
but when the chilly rain falls upon
them they contract their little backs
and become pretty pink in color.
Millions of them thus change the tint
of the tree. They are found only upon
one species of trees which grow In Ger.
tain portions of the everglades"