▌Nettle Tree
Nettle Tree has a common name ‘Shi Pu’ in Taiwanese, with many leaves weaving through each other. Sitting down underneath the tree during the hot summer times is very refreshing. Suburban children reload the seeds of the tree into bamboo sticks and fire away at each other. It is one of the fun games that children enjoy.
The nettle tree is the habitat of many beautiful butterflies and beetles such as Sasakia charonda, Hypolimnas misippus, and Dravira chrysolora. Butterflies and bugs are attracted by the nettle trees.
▌Barn Swallow
After the harsh winter, the insomnious spring and summer await the presence of barn swallows. When barn swallows fly back, the sky becomes vivid. Their singing makes summer more interesting.
The flocks of barn swallows fly to the South in August. Migratory birds come back in winter again, so the sky is full of life.
▌Entrance of the Camphor Tree Avenue
The camphor tree is named as “camphor,” because the word “camphor” has the same pronunciation as “article.” The word “article” in Chinese refers to that pattern weave of the tree is methodical. Lines of camphor trees welcome guests into the garden which surely makes the trip a memorable one.
▌Fragrant Maple
The fragrant maple in the mansion and the green maple in the garden are two different types of trees. It is easily confused because their leaves are similar in size and shape. In addition, these two types of maple trees flourish in Autumn. One line from the poem titled the Song of Pipa by the poet Juyi Bai of the Tang dynasty says, “Guests are seen off near Syunyang River. Leaves of maples trees and Triarrhena sacchariflora make the fall desolate.” This line describes the desolate atmosphere caused by the fall maples.
▌Black Bulbul
Male and female black bulbuls have the similar sizes and great proportions. Their distinctive punk hair makes them noticeable. Both their beak and legs are red. They are mainly black overall with a grey patch on the secondary feathers of their wings, so they are called Red Beak Bulbul. They have many different Chinese names, but they get the name “Red Beak Black Bulbul” because of their luxurious black coat and red beak.
▌Osmanthus
The scent of the sweet osmanthus gently taps around and welcomes guests upon taking the first step into the Garden. The sweet osmanthus originates from China’s southwest provinces, Japan, and Himalayas’ mountains. It was in the 18th century that people started importing them from Southern China into Taiwan.
The aromatic scent of the sweet osmanthus blossoms in the transition season between fall and winter. It is also this time of the year that no other flower blossoms and this creates its own identity among other flower-tea ingredients.
▌Chinese Elm
The arbor with the greatest gesture has to be the Chinese elm, located on the side of the entrance. The Chinese elm refers to elm in traditional gardens and it is also one of the most common trees located in designing the garden. Other than that, this plant is though and strong; therefore, it is good for making furniture. The biggest trait of the tree is its unregulated cloud sheets fall from the branches during season changes.
▌Plantain
Plantains are a type of herbaceous plant with deep roots. The leaves are like a lotus seat and the stems are difficult to be seen. The flowers of the plantain are small and are attached right by the stem of the flower. The flowers are white and not very eye catching. But they are actually butterflies’ favorite plant. When the fruits are crimson, they break apart automatically as the lids. Therefore, the plantain is also called a “cap fruit.” The plantain’s fruit is shaped long and round.
▌Green Maple
The red maple has been scholar’s favorite poem subject for thousands of years and the fallen leaves of red maples have become visitors’ favorite bookmarks. Since Taiwan is located in subtropical area, they are six types of maples in the family of Aceraceae. The green maple we see in the park is one of the most beautiful trees.
▌Palmetto
The Southeast Asia is beautiful because of palm trees. At sunset, if you look out into the peacock’s house from the park, you will see palmetto along with peacocks and bird nests, creating a beautiful scene.
