家门口有几棵树，有松树，有桉树，还有一棵不知名的树。

    每年的春末夏初，这不知名的树一夜之间会有串串蓝紫色的花相约着开满整个树冠，如一片如梦如幻的蓝紫的云彩，静而不郁，触手可及，美到极致。

    今年我终于知道了这树的名字，蓝－花－楹。

    蓝花楹原产地在中南美，澳洲中国还有南非都是近代引种的。所以在古诗词里找不到赞美蓝花楹的诗句，想来想去，最恰当的莫过于‘风暖熏开花万朵’，或用那句‘千树万树蓝花开’移花接木也勉强凑合。

    南非的行政首都，比勒陀利亚，有‘蓝花楹之都’的美称。每年的这个时候，五万株的蓝花楹争相绽放，那奇异的梦幻之美，恐怕身临其境才能领略。

    蓝花楹的花期很短，只有两周。花开时枝干无叶，有的只是一树的蓝紫；花落时，树已绿了，羽叶婆娑，一地的缤纷蓝紫与之相互呼应。

    在澳洲，蓝花楹开花，意味着炎热的圣诞节就要到了，正如澳洲的圣诞歌里所唱：

桉树生长的地方的圣诞节

没有冰天雪地也没有鹅毛大雪

圣诞节在澳大利亚是火热的

它不冰凉更不冷

当蓝花楹一树一树地盛开

圣诞节就要到来

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Christmas Where the Gum Trees Grow

Christmas Where the Gumtrees Grow,

there is no frost and there is no snow,

Christmas in Australia's hot,

cold and frosty's what it's not,

when the bloom of the jacaranda tree is here,

Christmas time is near.

From England came our Christmas fare,

they even said what Santa should wear,

But here down under for summer's cool,

Santa should dip in a swimming pool.

Christmas where the gumtrees grow,

there is no frost and there is no snow,

Christmas in Australia's hot,

cold and frosty's what it's not,

when the bloom of the jacaranda tree is here,

Christmas time is near.

Santa rides in a sleigh on snow,

but down here where the gumtrees grow,

Santa should wear some water skis,

and glide around Australia with ease.

Christmas where the gumtrees grow,

there is no frost and there is no snow,

Christmas in Australia's hot,

cold and frosty's what it's not,

when the bloom of the jacaranda tree is here,

Christmas time is near.

To ride around the bush where it's dry,

to cart all the presents piled so high,

a red nosed reindeer would never do,

Santa should jump on a kangaroo.

Christmas where the gumtrees grow,

there is no frost and there is no snow,

Christmas in Australia's hot,

cold and frosty's what it's not,

when the bloom of the jacaranda tree is here,

Christmas time is near.

 

Words© Lesley Sabogal