Comme un roman Astorytotell La Réunion Imprints ExploringthemultitudesofgreeninthelandscapeofRéunion,novelistIngrid Astierbecameimmersedintheextraordinarybotanicalcodexoftheisland.Fromlush foreststovolcaniccalderas,shechartstheshapesofitssecrets. Sovereigngreen,majorgreenintheIndianOcean.Agreenthatimpactslandscapesand themind.Agreenyoucangazeatandthatnourishes,andalsoheals,thankstotheuseof herbalteascalled zerbaz péi (healingplants).InRéunion,greensetsthetone,itsetsthe pace.Thepaceofwalking,fromthegardenstotheruggedmountainheights,towardthose whoareawarethatnatureisthemostimportantculturalheritagehandeddown. Primary green WithintheMascarenearchipelagoliesanislandthatwascalledÎleBourbonearlyon. BetweenPitondelaFournaiseandPitondes Neiges,there’saninterplayoffireandice. InRéunion,thegazeperpetuallyclimbshigherandhigher.“Nomatterwhereyouare,” sayswriterJean-FrançoisSamlong,“allyouhavetodoislookuptoseethemountains.” Thegreenisthere,cloakedinmist.Itflourishes,growsflecked,descendsvertiginousslopes, becomesalianaofjadeorpapyrus,stemsorbracts,tenderontheglossyskinofchayotes, unkemptinthesugarcanefields,deepgreeninprimaryforests. Thisgreengentlyenvelopsthejuttingteethofvolcaniccaldera,thenrunsdowntothe basaltblackofthesoutherncoast,whereitmingleswiththeblueofthewaves.Tothewest, itsmixedhuescreatetheturquoiseofalagoonwherediversswimamongfish.“I liketo imaginemyselfasleepwithmyheadonavolcanoandmyfeetintheocean.Verticalityand horizontalityallowmetokeepmybalance.”Samlongspeakslikeasageandmurmurslike abard.HelivesontheheightsofSainte-Marie,neartheRivièredes Pluies.Hisgrand- mothertaughthim,whenheaccompaniedhertowashtheclothes.“I discovered thisprincipleearlyon:whenyou’vegotnatureinyou,it’sforlife.” A balcony on the ocean Naturehasstayedwithhimeversince.Youhavetoseehiswrought-ironbalustrade,where thewhitevanishesbeneaththebowedboughsofalychee.InOctober,thisgeneroustree becomesamostconvivialtree.Friendsgatheraroundtheclustersoffruit.Byyear’send, ladenwithmarblesthecolorofblush,thelycheetreebecomesakindofChristmastree. Atthefourcornersofthecourtyard,likecardinalpoints,standsa“protectiveplant” withpointyleaves.ThisisfalseagaveorMauritiushemp.InLesplantesquivousprotègent ouvousnuisent,Samlongdiscussesits“boomerangeffect,”whichreturns“ahundredfold” totheenemy“theeviltheytriedtoinflictonyou.”ThespiritofRéunionisthere, inthisgreenwithabeatingheart.Theauthorseestreesas“essentialspiritualallies.”There isaJavaplum,acommontreeontheisland,inhisgarden.InApril,thefruitmakesitlook Multiples abitlikeamockolivetree.Fartheronthereisamangotree,likesugaronabranch. cascades Thisoceanbalconyisbothcornucopiaandtalisman.Inthecourtyard,thesiteof“ancestral favorisant laluxuriancedes knowledge”where ayapana andothermedicinalplantsflourish,amostuniquevine reliefsdeSalazie. springsup.Adiscreet,shyflower,anisegreen,whichproducesaheady,languidpod:vanilla. Multiple waterfallsnourish thelush An orchid named desire landscapesof Salazie. Thereare25,000 orchidsonearth,threeofwhichachievetheheightsofsensuality. InRéunion,thepreciouspodsofVanillaplanifolia (alsoknownasVanillafragrans) producedgreatwealthfortheinhabitantsoftheMascareneislands.Thisbeautyisendemic toMexico,whereitispollinatedbytheMeliponabee.InMadagascar,abirdwithiridescent plumagecalledthesouimangasunbirdissaidtohavesimilarpowers.Itusuallytakes ahumanhandtoreproducethemagicofitslongforagingbeak.EdmondAlbius,ayoung slavefromSainte-Suzanne,unraveledthemysteryoffertilization,workinginRéunion. Pierre-HenriPhilibertbroughtbackthevinesfromamissionthathadstoppedinCayenne. Twelvecrateslandedin 1819,afteratwo-and-a-half-monthcrossing.Onereached the RivièredesPluies,afewstepsawayfromSamlong’scabin. Intheundergrowth,thefoliageofvacoas,guavatrees,roseapplesandcasuarinaspro- videsshadefortheorchid,asfrailasoneofManet’sparasol-wieldingwomenwhocannot 101