73. Macrocarpa Hedges
The Macrocarpa tree symbolises the toughness, stability, and practicality of rural communities in New Zealand
Macrocarpa trees are a common sight in rural New Zealand. Introduced from California in the 1860s, they were planted to create shelter belts to protect pastures, crops, and livestock from high winds. They can live for over 200 years, reaching 40 metres in height and 2 to 3 metres in diameter. Their dense growth and tolerance for wind and salt spray make them the preferred shelter tree for coastal farms.
High and impressively long Macrocarpa hedges always attract my attention when I drive through the Canterbury Plains towards Christchurch from Dunedin. They seem unnaturally straight, with flat, even tops and sides, and sharp, squared-off corners, like long lengths of milled lumber. I’ve seen tractors with long blades trimming them as they drive along their length—first the horizontal top, then the vertical sides. As neat as a haircut.
Macrocarpa hedges are also popular in suburban areas, especially where privacy and wind protection are desired. They can easily grow large enough to obscure the house behind them. The larger the hedge, the more likely it is that the structure behind it is a grand old homestead.
A series of Macrocarpa hedges effectively screens several houses along Coast Road at the entrance to Karitane, a small seaside community 35 kilometres north of central Dunedin, at the mouth of the Waikouaiti River. They have been cut and shaped into long rectangles but lack the geometric perfection of the larger, tractor-trimmed variety. They are less disciplined and businesslike, more casual and laid-back, which seems fitting for a holiday destination. Their bumps and swells reflect the dunes and waves at the nearby beach.
What’s next?
I’ve been processing and editing the photos I took in Canada last year. I shared a few at the time, but there are others from that trip, particularly of the streets of Toronto, that might make for a good post.
What do you think?
I invite you to leave a comment below.
I love this. Especially the intriguing repetition of subject, which draws attention to different features of the hedges. 73d is my favourite - the knobbly, wavy top.
Gorgeous hedges! How they have been lovingly manicured into exactly the right curvaceous shapes, over many years,
You seem to have the flair of an artist, to pick out the curious and interesting subjects that many others may not even notice,
Well, I spotted many such macro windbreaks, especially around Canterbury and Otago rural blocks during my youth and childhood, many haunted by the so-called 'magpies,' but all of them straight, strong and resolute,