Tree-fern snot

We have a nice tree-fern growing in our back yard up against the verandah. It's been there ever since Donna moved in about twenty years ago.

Every now and then it will grow another frond that will either totally obscure our view, or it'll grow over the verandah and get in the way as we walk past. When that happens we usually get out the secateurs and trim it a bit, as Donna did with one recently.

Well, with all the rain we've been having the plants are happily sucking water out of the ground and transpiring it into the air through their leaves. The trouble is, when you cut what is essentially a plant's artery it tends to bleed and you get sap running out as in the picture below.



It was quite windy that day, so that glob of rubbery sap was swaying in the breeze, making it look even more disgusting.

Donna came up the back stairs while I was looking at it and I said, "Hey look at this, tree-fern snot".

Donna took one look at it, told me off for pointing it out to her and started to gag.