Last week I introduced you to a young River Bushwillow tree (also known as a combretum) given to Hive account@tim-beck and me by a friend who rather than wanting to receive gifts on his 60th birthday, preferred to give to his friends, family and nature.

Today I introduce you to the proud Herbert Gustav of Crestwood Park.

Our local residents association estate management team kindly assisted with planting the tree next to a small spruit (stream) and near other trees, particularly near another combretum. (You can see the other combretum's trunk on the other side of the spruit behind me.)

Why were we keen on planting it near another combretum?

As Hive account@tim-beck outlined in this magnificent post, trees form extensive neural nets underground and communicate actively with each other. Frankly, we didn't want Herbert to be lonely.

He's staked tall and ready to face the unknown now. We've been by to visit and water him a few times now, and I'm sure he can hardly wait for Gustav and Elsie to see him in his new habitat. We hope he grows big and strong and offers shade to passersby, flowers for the birds and insects and company for the combretum across the spruit.