Botanical Adjectives

 "Willows whiten, aspens shiver. 
The sunbeam showers break and quiver 
In the stream that runneth ever 
By the island in the river 
       Flowing down to Camelot."
 - The Lady Of Shallot, by Lord Alfred Tennyson 

I read "willows whiten, aspens shiver" and a picture forms in my mind: a white-barked tree with slender branches, quaking in the breeze. I feel as though I've read a hundred passing references to shivering aspen trees, such as quoted in the poem above. Aspens are scattered generously all across North America, and yet my home state of Texas has very few aspen trees, since in the South they only grow in higher altitudes. It's possible that I've actually never seen one in real life. 

Even so, the reference has become crystal clear in my mind. It made me think how that kind of description can become embedded in our vernacular. To take it apart, the word shiver can have an ominous feel to it. It can indicate both physical cold and a sense of foreboding, yet one can also have a pleasant shiver in response to an unexpectedly positive sensation. When I read "aspens shiver" I know it's windy, maybe a little cold, and that it could reflect a premonition of something coming. Aspens also have a slightly frail quality; they are slender and tall and lovely in a way which can make one feel protective of them.

I wonder what references to nature are standard in other regions, languages, and cultures. When I was in Hawaii, I was awed by the many banyan trees which grow across the island. Banyans have aerial roots which grow down from the branches, burrow into the soil, and slowly grow in width over time. Given adequate space, a banyan can keep growing laterally, the branches supported by the continuous aerial roots which can become as sturdy as tree trunks. One banyan can have the appearance of many trees clustered together, and can become a home for numerous creatures. I recall their generous shade, and their immense beauty and mystery, with a feeling of awe. I wonder about any descriptions of banyan trees which are as common as North Americans referencing shivering aspens, towering redwoods, or prickly mesquite, as a few examples. Before seeing a banyan in person, no concrete picture would have come into my mind to describe them. Possibly a vague sense of having seen a photo of them at some point, yet they wouldn't have felt real to me. Somehow, even though I don't know that I've stood beneath an aspen before, the thought of one is real. I've seen countless glorious photos of white aspens aflame in autumn colors and read plentiful descriptions of them, and in this way they have become personally real. In contrast, I've read and seen little of banyan trees, yet now they are alive in my mind, and I find myself wanting to learn more about them. I find myself curious to know what people say about them in daily life; in places where they grow in abundance, what descriptions exist which are commonly known by everyone there? 

The aspens shiver, quiver, quake, shake, and tremble. The banyan shades, covers, canopies, and protects.  The two trees are as different as they come, yet still they hold the human experience of letting one lean against them, look up into their branches, wonder at the depth of their roots, and try, with words or some other artistry, to capture them, describe them, and pass it on for the next traveler or reader to connect with and know. Ah yes, that tells about this tree. Now, I too, understand.