苦戀相思情難定, 風吹樹倒斷腸時

Complex of Love

-        「Bitter Love」 or 「Lovesick」?  It』s 「Heartbreaking」 when trees fell in wind

苦戀是指苦楝．３月開花．

相思是指台灣相思．４月開花．

風是指外力．

樹倒是樸樹先天性的結構問題．

斷腸是指斷腸草．５月開花．

３月苦戀，４月相思，５月斷腸．來得快，去得急，留下的是無邊的傷感．

苦楝在大霧的３月開花，細小的紫白色花佈滿樹冠，遠看是灰朦的一片．站在樹下，嗅到濃烈的花香，像苦戀中透不過氣．

台灣相思 ４月開花，整個樹冠佈滿黃色的花球（頭狀花序）．相思花期過後，凋謝的花零碎的散滿四周，要把它妥善處理可要花上一些時間．

天氣回暖下，"斷腸草／鉤吻"的花會在５月零星出現，在多個地區（如河背水塘 ，梧桐寨）也可以看見其聚傘花序排列的黃花，這品種有毒，又以嫩葉毒性最大．"吻．斷腸"可不能掉以輕心．

有３成的樸樹會長出孖生樹幹緊貼而形成結構問題．有戀人樹之稱的樸樹，兩個樹幹緊貼一起，擠擁中互相排斥，日後在強風下被吹倒是必現結局．

Complex of Love

-        「Bitter Love」 or 「Lovesick」?  It』s 「Heartbreaking」 when trees fell in wind

「Bitter Love」 is Chinaberry (Melia azadarach) blossoms in March. 

「Lovesick」 is Taiwan Acacia (Acacia confusa) blossoms in April. 

Wind is the external force. 

「Tree fell」 refers to the congenital structural problem of Hackberry tree (Celtis sinensis).

「Heartbreak」 is Graceful Jesamine (Gelsemium elegans) blossoms in May. 

「Bitter love」 in March, 「Lovesick」 in April, 「Heartbreak」 in May - easy come, easy go and only endless melancholy is left behind.

Chinaberry flowers in foggy March.  The crown is entirely covered with tiny purple whitish flowers and looks hazy from afar.  Standing under the tree, the strong aroma smothers you as if you are in 「bitter love」. 

Taiwan Acacia blossom in April and the entire crown is covered with yellow flower heads (capitulum).  After flowering, the withering flowers scattered all around.  It takes some time to cope with the mess properly. 

As it gets warmer, you can see flowers of the "Heartbreak / Hooked kisses" (both are the literal Chinese names of Graceful Jesamine) sprinkle in May.  In many areas (such as Ho Pui Reservoir, Ng Tung Chai), you can also see the cyme of yellow flowers.  This variety is toxic, especially its leaflets.  You should not think lightly of "kisses and heartbreak」. 

Some 30% of the Hackberry grow in too clingy a twin and becomes its structural problem.  Hackberry is known as 「lover tree」; two trunks hug tightly together, but at the same time, they repel each other.  Inevitably, it will be blown down in strong winds. 

觸不著，看不見，花香圍繞身旁．只知，苦在心頭．

四月，踏進台灣相思的花期．陽光普照下，放眼遠眺，目送相思花潮．

數不盡，算不完，黃花一望無際．但求，夢中相見．

五月，回暖天氣催生斷腸草的開花．漫天荒野上，尋回散落的斷腸．

忘不了，記不牢．情難定，意難平．

March – flowering season of Chinaberry.  Confide in its aroma standing under the tree in the dense fog of Spring. 

Touch not, see not, aroma all around

 Only sense the bitter in our hearts

April - advent of the flowering Acacia.  There a sea of yellow flowers in the sun-drenched days when you look from afar. 

Countless, numerous; an endless stretch of yellow flowers…..  Is it just a dream? 

May – the warmth hasten the flowering of Graceful Jesamine.  Retrieve the shattered broken hearts in the boundless wilderness. 

Forget me not, remember me not

「The course of true love never did run smooth…」 (by Shakespeare)

Bewildered in March and March bewilderment - Capture the hearts of all those who care …….

*translated by Mary Chung

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