Sydney Peppermint tree recovering from fire

Photographer's Hometown
Wollongong (Australia)

Status
Amateur

Photo Subject and/or Photo Location
Bargo State Conservation Area, New South Wales, Australia

Technical Specs
Sony A7iii with Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM lens. 100mm, 1/60 sec, F/8, ISO 250.


A little about this image...
This Sydney Peppermint (Eucalptus Piperita) tree is responding to fire by putting out epicormic shoots. These shoots grow from buds lying underneath the bark. This tree had lost most of its leaves in the 'Black Summer' fires in Australia around Christmas 2019, but the epicormic shoots helped it to survive. The 'Black Summer' fires were due in large part to climate change.
The bright red/orange colours in the new leaves are due to anthocyanin, a pigment that protects the leaves from insect predation and from sun damage.