I have never been a person who gravitated to warm places in search of respite from winter’s rigors. Growing up in the Snow Belt I learned that real virtue comes from toughing out the cold weather, the better to truly appreciate the spring and summer. My recent trip toBermuda convinced me that all that virtue may be seriously overrated.
Bermuda is a haven for golfers, beach lovers and connoisseurs of the Rum Swizzle. But for plant lovers it is paradise. In mid-February, when everyone, from the guide at the Botanical Garden to the cab drivers, tells you that “not much is blooming,” flowers are ubiquitous. Hibiscus blossoms leap out from the hedges, vivid blue morning glories scramble up trees and bird of paradise flowers show off their orange and blue “plumage”. Coming from frigid New Jersey, all that botanical abundance was almost too much to take in. I felt like a starving person being presented with a tray of pastries.
When I travel, plants are my touchstones. I orient myself by getting out on foot and observing the greenery, not just in manicured tourist destinations but by the sides of the roads, in private gardens, public parks, and, if it’s possible, in working-class neighborhoods. I also make sure to find a bookshop that carries guidebooks on the local flora. Armed with a book and a good pair of shoes, I try to see as much as I can from the ground up.
Bermuda has an incredible mix of plants and ecosystems. There are sandy beaches and dunes, salt and freshwater marshes and wetlands, meadows and rocky hillsides. The island is surrounded by theGulf Stream, which means that the average temperature is about seventy degrees Fahrenheit, and the wind affects everything, with larger trees and shrubs acting as necessary windbreaks to protect smaller plants. Much of the soil is alkaline. Rainfall averages only about fifty-four inches per year, so fresh water is precious. Despite the climatic challenges,Bermuda is one large diverse garden.
The island’s symbol is the little bermudiana, Sisyrinchium bermudiana, a small plant with blue-purple flowers that is related to the familiar American blue-eyed grass. It is endemic to the island, having evolved into a distinct species that does not occur naturally anywhere else. There are few endemic species on Bermuda, but among them is theBermuda cedar, a versatile and useful tree, that covered the island until its population was decimated by blight in the late 1940’s. I saw several cedars, which are now experiencing resurgence due to reintroduction of new plants propagated from disease-resistant blight survivors.
Like endemic plants,Bermuda natives have been on the island since before human habitation, carried there by wind or waves or overflying birds. Unlike endemic plants, they have not evolved into unique species. I saw many large native mangrove trees, which have multiple trunks, large glossy leaves, and prominent roots that rise like stilts above the soil. Mangroves are especially interesting because they can tolerate saltwater.
Bermuda is also home to many species that have been introduced from other places. Some of them, like the familiar large flowered magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora, are exotics, which are very different in appearance and habit from endemic or native plants. Exotic or not, many have taken to the island environment so well that they have become naturalized, flourishing without human intervention. This can be a problem when the naturalized plants outcompete endemics and natives, threatening their existence. During my visit toBermuda I saw colonies of prickly pear cactus, hundreds of brilliant blue morning glories growing “wild”, and nasturtiums that had obviously escaped from gardens and succeeded on their own. I don’t know whether any of those plants threaten natives, butBermuda is also cursed with rampant kudzu, which does.
In the midst of learning about and trying to identify endemic, native and exotic species, I fell in love withBermuda’s gardens and beautifully maintained public parks. Many have moon gates, round wood or stone portals that are reputed to bestow good luck on those who step through them. Moon gates originated inChina and came toBermuda by way of British colonists, who also brought favorite plants like dianthus, snapdragon and many varieties of old garden roses. Often sheltered by walls or hedges, these coexist side by side with brilliant-leaved crotons, lantana, agave, plumbago and bougainvillea. Familiar shrubs like pittosporum and Italian cypress share space with all kinds of palm trees, including the endemicBermuda palmetto.
I was sorry to leave all that warmth and beauty to return to my still-sleeping garden. But life has its consolations. When I walked in the front door I saw that the potted gardenia in the foyer had two fragrant white blossoms. I closed my eyes, inhaled deeply and returned toBermuda for another few minutes.