A Tree Rooted in Culture
I love casuarina trees with their slender trunks and wispy branches growing on tropical beaches. I first saw them growing on the beaches in Malaysia, when I was a young Peace Corps Volunteer in the 1970's.
We are back in Malaysia for a visit. The casuarina I saw in Penang this week blew my mind. I have never seen one that big before. We were eating brunch with a friend who had invited us to join her at the Penang Club, a private club in Georgetown. We were sitting in a covered but open patio area near the swimming pool. While eating, I suddenly realized that the huge tree just outside the patio was a giant casuarina tree. I had never seen one that large before. Of course, I had to get a photo of the tree when we were done and I asked my husband to stand beside it for comparison.
How could a casuarina get that big? Only through careful gardening, care and maintenance. The Penang Club was started in 1868 and is one of the oldest clubs in Asia. The Penang Club was established as an expatriates’ enclave but has gradually changed to include a broader category of members including business people and various professionals from the Penang area.
