Bushveld candelabra tree

Here is a verse I leaned as a child: “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord , He is my refuge and fortress: My God in Him will I trust.”

Psalm 91 : 1,2

The name of the plant Euphorbia ingens (candelabra) comes from a Greek Physician, Euphorbus, who discovered the plant in the Atlas mountains.

It is intriguingly rounded with succulent looking branches held up to the sky hence its descriptive name, Candleabra. It can survive off mere drops of water while its milky white latex is poisonous to most animals except the black rhino which has been known to survive on it.

The tree on the left with its roots on a rocky outcrop and then deep in sand.
Candelabra stems have
five ridges each and are
3.5 to 7.5 cm thick.
Press on the picture and see this in the one growing next to the road.
Here is the candle part of the name. These little yellow flowers bloom from autumn to winter providing nectar for insects.

We sometimes have no electricity at certain times of the night and day. This means that candles can be important when the battery lights haven’t been charged or are being used elsewhere. It is a pleasant warm feeling to sit in candle light. There was and is expected to be a flurry of snow up on Marieskop. It is chilly today after a balmy Sunday.

Here are some thoughts about candles:

Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

Chinese Proverb

To love is to see the light in another.

Rumi

Never dim someone else’s light just so you can shine.

Unknown.
The flatter part of the mountain is Mariepskop.
It is 1,945m above sea level and one of the highest peaks in the
northern Drakensberg
and the highest point of the
Blyde River Canyon .

Dad has stayed in bed today and doesn’t want anything to eat. He is drinking a little but is more pale.

Thank you for reading this post.

Sandy 🙂

9 thoughts on “Bushveld candelabra tree

    1. Thank you! I am so glad you found it interesting. They are intriguing in size,shape and how easily they live without water. Tonight it is raining and snowing on top of the mountain. Most unusually cold for this area of SA.

  1. Sitting and visiting by candlelight stirs up some good childhood memories for me from visiting our grandparents on the farm Praying for Dad dear Sandy 🙏🏻

  2. I am enjoying reading your account of being in this country side. I was a cartographer and mapped Blyderivier canyon and pilgrim’s rest, Nelspruit, etc. Traveled through that area too with my family. The loadshedding is hard although using candles brings a special light, can feel quite sacred. I feel for you and your dad. It is nice that you can be there with him but it’s hard to watch one’s parent suffer. Sending you hugs and prayers. 💐🙋‍♀️

    1. Thank you for sharing your times here. How you must have enjoyed the detail. A wonderful gift to place three dimensions into two with care. Dad seems comfortable but as he said yesterday: ” I am fading.” Shelly and he are very close and he loves us both very much. He keeps thanking me for being here. I guess that is the loveliest thing to hear.

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