Waras (ThursdayTreeLove)

 Here is tree that I have seen on our hills in Pune. There are only a few that grow in the city so I always assumed it was a species that preferred some elevation.

I was proved wrong when we did a few long drives around Pune into the interiors (to see flowering ofcourse!!) . I saw plenty of these lovely stately trees in the plains as well.

I am referring to the Waras or Heterophragma quadriloculare of the Bignonicaceae family. 

It has pretty white flowers with frilly petals and the tree looks majestic when in bloom. 

Many of the native species that grow in and around Pune bloom in Feb/Mar and April. 

It needs great determination to go out in the heat but the joy of seeing and identifying the tree is infinite!! 

For some strange reason, I was unable to find a local name in English for this tree. 

Here it is!

Compound leaves

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove blog hop. Do head over to see some fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in!

Red (ThursdayTreeLove)

 After the Yellow Bombax on the last edition of TTL it is vital that I post the usual red Bombax that is mostly seen around Pune.

Here it is:

Bombax ceiba aka Kate Sawar / Shyamli/ Seemal/Silk Cotton Tree of the Malvaceae family. 

From a distance, one can only see red spots on a bare tree in a bare brown countryside. As one moves closer the red becomes darker and a lot of bird and bees/insect activity is seen on the tree. The large flowers are not pretty by general standards. They are almost cup shaped and have plenty of nectar in it which attracts monkeys as well. 

Tree Drive (ThursdayTreeLove)

My title suggests i would be writing about some tree plantation drive.

But that is far from the truth.

Recently, our Tree lovers Whatsapp group was swamped with photos of a Yellow Seemal. Thats right ... Bombax ceiba with yellow flowers. It looked wonderful and is rare in this part of the world.

Like everyone else on the group, I too wanted to see it. 

The only problem was the location was over 60kms away. 

I got major FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) when more folks visited the tree and shared the images. 

Luckily for me, dear husband agreed to accompany me and he drove all the way. 

I packed some sandwiches and we set off early to avoid heat. Surprisingly the road was superb and I ignored all other trees enroute. (That was on the return journey and for another post!! :-)

It was a joy to see the tree at the precise spot, standing alone and in full bloom . The road was lonely, and locals drove or walked past without a second glance. I would like to think they had already had enjoyed the blooms as flowering had been going on for a few weeks at least. 

Without much ado.. here is the Yellow Seemal aka Kate Sawar in Marathi or Silk Cotton Tree. 

Bare (ThursdayTreeLove)

The Peepal (Ficus religiosa) are almost leafless presently in Pune. However the bark colour and peculiar fluting of the trunk and branch ramification make it easier to identify this tree.

This is a massive Peepal standing alone in a parking lot. The ramifications are superb...we try to achieve this in our bonsai (and it's quite difficult to do so). 

This tree just waiting to burst into leaves looked especially attractive to me as I was meeting a few of my batchmates after 40 years!! A unique date (a leap year) added to the surreal quality of our meet up! 

Its great to meet college friends, relive memories and enjoy each others achievements. 

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Do head over to see fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in.

 

Theobroma (ThursdayTreeLove)

 We meet a product of this plant quite often.. we consume it often in most age groups and for some it is a prohibited joy. We have it as  a treat/gift it/ relish it on the cheat day of a diet and so on...

You may have guessed.. I am referring to the Chocolate.. which is made from Cocoa beans that grow on the Theobroma cacao trees of the Sterculiaceae family. 

It is an introduced species in India but seems to be very happy in our southern states where it is widely cultivated and we are now a significant producer of Cocoa beans. These images are from Munnar where it is a common sight. 

The evergreen tree is well branched with shiny green leaves. Its small whitish flowers and grow directly on the trunk and thereafter it grow into a large fruit that's yellow when ripe. 

Cauliflory - refers to flowers that grow directly on the trunk

Tiny fruit visible

A small tree that stands out in the lush green countryside

The fruit needs some processing to extract chocolate as we know it. There are several chocolate making units in Munnar but I could not see their extraction process. 

So that would be for another visit and post!

:-) :-)

Next time you eat chocolate, do think of this flower and tree with the unique sounding name!

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove blog hop. Do head over to see some fantastic trees from around the world.

Better still, join in!

Precious (ThursdayTreeLove)

 "Ancient trees are precious. There is little else on Earth that plays host to such a rich community of life within a single living organism."

- Sir David Attenborough

This is just one of the trees that live at Pune's Empress Garden. 

It's a very old Ficus and the aerial roots seem to be hosting many other plants. Obviously many birds and insects too must find this space extremely hospitable! 

The Empress Garden is an over 150year old garden in Pune home to many old and unique trees. A part of our precious natural heritage.

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Do head over to see fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in. 

Unique Tree Unique Place (ThursdayTreeLove)

 As 26th January is our Republic Day, I have a tree from a special unique place. 

Its a Keekar (Acacia variety) that has its home at Longewala. 

Longewala is a place near Jaisalmer in India's Rajasthan state . It is close to the international border and was witness to a fierce battle in 1971. 

There is a memorial at the spot that displays captured enemy weapons, tanks etc. There is also a short film that recreates the events of December 1971 and it is shown in an actual bunker. The entire ambience gives one goosebumps and one can only salute the brave.

You can read more about it here and here. 

Here is the tree. 

The Keekar seems to have a twin trunk or a low first branch. That low branch has grown almost horizontally and curves for quite some distance. In fact, it has been propped up with some supports. 

                                    

Support for the branch

This image gives an idea of the horizontal curving branch. I tried to get an image without people but that was next to impossible considering the queue to see the film. 

Leaves

Visiting such places serve as a reminder of sacrifices made by our soldiers to safeguard our freedom. Here are some images from Longewala.

Republic Day Greetings to all my friends!! 

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove blog hop. Do head over to see some fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in!