smell test

i really rely mostly on visual cues to identify most of the plants i photograph. there isn’t a lot of need to use sound. i rarely try tasting, for obvious reasons. i don’t usually need to feel the plants’ textures to know if they are rough or smooth. and although they often have a distinctive smell, that is rarely a differentiator between two similar species. this photo was an exception. i spent lots and lots of time researching the visual cues of this plant, with its sprays of acorn-like buds. then i crushed one between my fingers, and i didn’t have to search any further, as a wave of eucalyptus washed over me.

eucalyptus seeds