A 100-year-old Indian coral tree in Taitung, believed to be the only one of its kind left in the southeastern county, has put out bright red blooms for the first time in a decade.
The species, also called the “sunshine tree,” was known to signal the arrival of spring when it began blooming, but it was almost wiped out in recent years by a type of foreign wasp.
The blooming of the Indian coral trees in March and April has also long been symbolic for residents of Taitung.
For the Tao people on Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼), the appearance of the red blooms marks the beginning of the flying fish season, while for Paiwan people, it is a sign to start planting foxtail millet.
However, since 2009, the bright red flowers had not been seen in Taitung, as the Indian coral trees were attacked by erythrina gall wasps, a parasitoid species that was first found in Taiwan in late 2001 and in Taitung two years later.
Tens of thousands of Indian coral trees in Taitung, including hundreds that were more than 100 years old, were killed by the wasps, which destroyed the trees by laying eggs on new leaves and stems. Seriously infected trees stopped growing and died.
The only known survivor of the wasp attack was a 100-year-old tree next to a Tudigong temple in Luye Township (鹿野), which is now covered in red blooms.
Thanks to the efforts of the Taitung County Government, experts and groups of National Taiwan University students, that Indian coral tree managed to survive the wasp attack, local history researcher Han Bi-feng (韓筆鋒) said.
Shieh Juinn-lai (謝進來) of the Taitung District Agricultural Research and Extension station said the wasp infestation this year was not as serious as before because of high rainfall, which deterred the insects.
“However, it is too early to be optimistic,” Shieh said, adding that continuous monitoring of the tree and pest control measures are still required to prevent its destruction by wasps.
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