I can imagine the spectacular Wisteria blooms at the Wisteria Festival in Ashikaga Park. Like Dr Ling Sing Lin, my wife and I did not visit Japan this Spring to see the cherry trees blossom. We hate crowds and steer clear of peak seasons or events. Fortunately, we had our share of colourful Wisteria on the Matsumoto Castle grounds.
Most trees are planted to create shade and privacy, but trees are better known for their flowers (cherry & wisteria). Trees are beautiful when they flower. But are they beautiful when they are not in bloom? What about non-flowering trees? Can they ever be considered beautiful?
Beautiful denotes any quality in objects that is agreeable to look at. Trees, in general, are wanting in the beauty seen in flowers. However, some trees are remarkable for their regularity, elegance of the forms and arrangement of their branches, and their alluring variety of outlines.
Trees stimulate our minds. Their attractiveness often comes from their influence on our imagination – the shape of their trunks, spreading branches, and dense foliage. The visual impact of their form awakens our emotions that evoke a sensation of beauty – the beauty that represents life, growth, and Nature.
So, can non-flowering trees ever be considered beautiful like flowers? You decide.
Vince
Dr Vincent Chong is a retired Professor of Radiology at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.
