It has had a bad press. Will it ever recover from the unfortunate associations which have come to characterise it ?

Perhaps I can help bring it back – and share some of the impressive oranges I have come across in the last few weeks.

The burnt orange and the warm fuzz of the Fruiting Foambark aka Jagera Pseudorhus. Oops maybe not quite so, ‘pseudo’ being the Greek word for false. Let me explore this further. They look stunning, soft and vibrant – you want to reach up and touch them, but don’t be deceived. They are covered in fine hair which irritate the skin and are difficult to brush away. A deception of sorts ? For sure.

Interestingly they are used by Aboriginal people to fish – Apparently the bark contains saponins which de- oxygenate the water, stunning fish which then rise to the surface, the fish are collected and the saponins are washed away. Clever, cunning, cruel ? Hmm, sounding awfully “orange”.

Ok lets move on to something a little bit different, just as orange though.

Any better I wonder? Well it goes by the name of Banksia Spinulosa. Lots of spin. Aka as the “prickly” leaved banksia. Well that is not much better. They are pollinators though, so that is positive. Not so for the strychnine tree or nux vomica. I think I can guess what goes wrong here.

And then Angels Trumpets. If ingested can cause Paralysis confusion and even death. Aaargh.

The African Tulip Tree one of the worlds worst invasive species, toxic to stingless bees and other insects. Who would have thought in its elegance and splendid colour.

A bird of paradise – how bad can that be ? The bird of paradise flower symbolizes joy, paradise, and freedom, often representing new beginnings, faithfulness, and thoughtfulness. Orange restored.

I can live with that – and my inherited nine lives orange cat.