Passion Flower (Wordless Wednesday)

Passiflora foetida

Fruit

Pencil And Brush (Wordless Wednesday)

Survivor (ThursdayTreeLove)

Going through old travel photos is a wonderful way to relive the experience. Often the albums throw up surprises - like identifying a flower or tree ..

A relook at my Andaman trip album threw up a few images of trees that have survived the all-destructive Tsunami that hit the region in 2004. 

On Ross Island, we saw this ancient Tree with an incredible root structure. It reminded me of the giant Silk Cotton tree in the Lalbagh Botanical Garden in Bengaluru. 

If you zoom into the photo, you can see what may be a strangling Ficus growing on one of the branches. 

An amazing tree that has stood the test of time and Nature's Fury.

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Do head over to see some amazing trees from around the world. 

Better still, if you have a photo of a tree that has caught your eye, then do join us in this bimonthly tree fiesta!

Stay healthy and happy folks!

Wall Art (Wordless Wednesday)

Network (Wordless Wednesday)

Monsoon Magic (Wordless Wednesday)

The Sentinel (ThursdayTreeLove)

The hills in Pune are one of the prized gifts of Nature to this city. They offer a wonderful vantage point up above the homes and offices and factories below. Some parts of this land is held by the Forest Department, some of it is privately held and most have no proper internal roads other than one to reach the top.

Lack of easy access has been a boon of sorts as it has kept the area free for flora and fauna. Some of the trees growing are not seen in the city. Conversely, some trees that flourish in the city and elsewhere seem to struggle on the hills. A unique geology may be a contributory factor. 

One such example is some of the Ficus species especially Ficus benghalensis and Ficus religiosa. Among us bonsai growers in India,  Ficus is a very forgiving species - grows rapidly, does not grumble on hard pruning or wiring or root pruning and is happy in pots. 

Naturally, I expected the Ficus to flourish when planted out in the open. Yet it just about seems to survive on the hills, never really achieving the grand size that one associates with Ficus trees. The Vetal tekdi has a great Peepal near one of the Maruti temples and a huge Ficus bengalensis near the ARAI entrance - both pretty old. All other planted Ficus are just about six feet tall with not much branching or foliage or trunk girth.