Yellow Carpet (ThursdayTreeLove)

 Anyone going on morning walks in Pune these days will surely have noticed the roads to have such yellow carpets.

 Markhamia lutea of Bignoniaceae is now blooming and it's yellow funnel shaped flowers drop down each morning. Native to Africa , the species is extensively planted along roadsides. It has long twisted fruit (seeds are winged) that gives away the ID. 

Orange throated flowers

Large compound leaf with deep markings. 

Two other species also have yellow funnel shaped flowers namely Tecoma stans of Bignoniaceae and Cascabela thevetia of Apocynaceae and I hope to do a differentiator post in future. Till then here is the Markhamia from morning walks.

Presently the Millingtonias and Parijat also create white carpets making the streets very colourful. What do you notice in your walks?

This post is part of Parul's ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Do head over to see fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in. 

More Cousins! (ThursdayTreeLove)

Just like us humans, I think plants too have relatives as in 'Cousins' .. I always refer to plants that belong to the same Genus but different specific epithets as being related as 'Cousins'!

I have had other such plants on my blog.. e.g The Malphigeas 

 

Today I have another... the Kala Shirish/Krishna Shirish or  Albizia amara of the Fabaceae family.

Its yet another resident of our very dear Vetal Tekdi in Pune and this one (shown in the photo) grows right opposite a Albizia lebbeck - The Shirish we all know.

Its presently in full bloom and the small round whitish yellow flowers are an attractive sight.

It has different leaves from the Shirish and there are other family members as well who I have not included today... such as the Albizia procera , Albizia odoratissima .

The green leaf tree at the back is the Albizia lebbeck. 

Unique (ThursdayTreeLove)

After our tree-spotting car drives in 2024 to see the Yellow Bombax, we embarked on another one recently .. albeit it wasn't too far away from Pune.

The aim was to see the elusive, rare beautiful yellow Palash or Yellow Flame of the Forest. 

We all know the red Palash but the yellow one is just as beautiful but very uncommon. According to some experts, the yellow colour is due to a genetic mutation. 

Botanically, it is called Butea monosperma var lutea of the Fabaceae family. 

According to Flowers of India, there are very few trees and is endemic to the Deccan Plateau. Our Tree group reported this particular yellow Palash that lives in Pune. I missed its flowering last year and this year I was determined to see the yellow blooms.

As it turns out, I was a few days late and most flowers had faded and fallen off. I could see some flowers. 

An amazing tree. 

Here you go...

Standing Proud (ThursdayTreeLove)

Recently i had to drive on the Expressway near Chandani Chowk in Pune ...the area alongside the road is now a jungle of steel, concrete and glass. Hardly any greenery ...and just as I was bemoaning this fact...

This glorious Bombax ceiba (aka Seemal or Shalmali) stood tall and proud and in full bloom against all odds.  It's called Sawar in Marathi and belongs to the Malvaceae family. 

It was such a heartening sight. 

Here is the tree from my window...

(I was a passenger in the car)

As the mindless so called development continues, Nature finds a way to survive. 

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

Rare (ThursdayTreeLove)

 Todays tree is a native and according to the book 'Trees of Pune' by Shrikant Ingalhalikar it is native to Pune.

Yet we know of only 2 individuals in the city. 

Isn't that shocking? And sad? 

And in all these years I had not gone to see the tree!! 

The tree is Adinia cordifolia or Haldu of Rubiaceae. 

So when our tree group was buzzing with news of its flowering, I just had to visit.

They grow at an area where Metro construction is on full swing. I am thankful to God these 2 trees continue to flourish growing as they do by the roadside. I pray they continue to do so.

Reaching the spot was a challenge due to lot of traffic diversions and road closures and heavy rain. But I was determined and I made it there.

The majestic duo with huge heart shaped leaves were in full bloom. The branches were full of the round flowers (like Kadamba and Kaim - not surprising as they are the same family) and a wonderful sight. 

People looked askance as I walked balancing my umbrella, navigating contruction material and cars and my phone camera.

Here is the lovely Haldu. 

Opposite heart shaped leaves

Twin Trunk (ThursdayTreeLove)

Pune has a few really old trees.. I have shared some on my previous posts. 
Here is one more. 

A grand old Baobab that seems to have a twin trunk. Or is it two trees growing side by side?

Difficult to tell really. It is easily visible from the road through the wire fence and I did not try to go inside to get a closer look. 

Its already in full foliage after its winter leaf fall and flowering thereafter. The digitate leaves form a glorious green canopy and looking down, one can see faded flowers and early fruit.

Here is the wonderful Adansonia digitata of the Malvaceae family. Its originally from Africa but seems very happy here in India. The feeling is mutual as we call it 'Gorakh Chincha' in marathi.. chincha is Tamarind!

Flower - this image taken earlier from another tree 

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove blog hop. Head over to see wonderful trees from around the world. Better still, join in!

 

Cool Green (ThursdayTreeLove)

Today I have a tree that most would know.. folks from India at least. 

Its the Tamarind (Tamarindus indica ) of the Fabaceae family. It drops all its leaves in December or January and bursts into new foliage soon after. In the intense summer heat, the Tamarind flaunts fresh green leaves that offer a cool respite to any and everyone. 

The feathery leaves are very pretty as are the yellow flowers that appear once it rains. I am told the flowers make an excellent chutney (though I have not yet tried it). The pods soon develop and its sour flesh is widely used in Indian cooking. 

Tamarind is called Chincha in Marathi and Imli in Hindi. It makes a wonderful Bonsai but needs lot of care when it is repotted. 

Here it is.

Pods

Cool shade under the fresh green leaves!

This a common roadside tree in Pune but also seen in home gardens or parks. We have some beautiful huge old Tamarind trees that I use as landmarks! 

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

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.

 

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. 

Learn Something New (ThursdayTreeLove)

 Todays post has a very familiar tree but after all these years in Pune, I found an interesting practice related to it. 

Its the Peepal or Ficus religiosa of the Moraceae family. 

We all know it . 

But at a recent Heritage Walk in Pune, we visited the Munjoba Temple which is home to a large Peepal tree. In some family traditions, whenever a boy undergoes the Thread Ceremony, the boys father first plants a Peepal tree, conducts the ceremony on the tree then for the young lad.

I havent personally seen this practice but it shows the importance of trees have in our lives. According to this article about the Peepal on the website Flowers of India, " Hindus associate the tree with the three gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, Vishnu being reputed to have been born under a Peepul. Which is Vishnu himself in the form of a tree. "

Here are the images.

 Here is another article about the Munjoba Temple and its Peepal tree. Do you know of any interesting practises about the Peepal? 

Heritage walks are a wonderful way to know about a city - reconnect with the one we live in or just know a new city we visit. 

Learn something new. Like I did about the Peepal. The same is true with Tree Walks. 

Here is a link to Heritage Walks in Pune by Ayan. 

Disclaimer : This is not a sponsored post! :-)

A very happy 2024 from our family to yours! Wish you all a 'tree'mendous year!! 

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

Here are the

Tree In Fog (ThursdayTreeLove)

 Sometimes when you lose your way in the fog

You end up in a beautiful place! 

Dont be afraid of getting lost! Mehmet Murat ildan

I came across this quote and was immediately reminded of our visit to Malhargad. 

Malhargad is a fort close to Pune and yet our visit had never materialised. 

Finally we did go there and as we entered the complex, a thick fog enveloped the place. The path ahead was barely visible so the question of identifying Flora growing there was out of question. We could not see or contact our friends (no cell phone range) so definitely felt a bit 'lost'.

The fog cleared after a while to reveal the old and beautiful structure. However it was getting late so another trip is mandatory to see the remains of the fort. 

Here are a few pix. 

Finding our way

Do Trees Have Emotions? (ThursdayTreeLove)

A recurring thought among ThursdayTreeLove bloggers is .. what if trees could talk? what must they be seeing and feeling? I have expressed such thoughts often as well.

Todays tree has been featured earlier on TTL before. It is a Mulberry (locally called Tooti) . Morus alba of the Moraceae family. 

Its home is in an old apartment complex where the ageing buildings need major revamps that are only possible via redevelopment. The Mulberry grows in the centre of the plot and will certainly be affected in the rebuilding, and this rebuilding is vital for safety and health of the people living there. Obviously, home owners have to temporarily shift elsewhere till works are competed. 

(Local laws mandate trees to be suitably replanted when such redevelopment takes place.) 

For all these years, I have seen the tree grow upright and tall and full of fruit when in season. 

Recently I noticed that the Mulberry seemed to be bowing down, its canopy touching the ground. Yet it is full of fruit. 

Could it be sensing the upcoming changes? Must it be missing the laughter and chatter of people walking in the premises? 

Or is it just a case of being top heavy and its wet branches becoming too heavy for the not very thick trunk to hold up especially in the heavy rain?

Monsoon Beauties (ThursdayTreeLove)

 The best part of a rainy day is exploring all the new flowers that pop up - Unknown. Found this on the internet. 

Seeing that the monsoon has been active for a month, its only right that I share some ephimeral flowers that bloom around me! They last only a few days and occasionally weeks and are a joy to the eyes and soul. I look out for them every year and enjoy their annual show!

Here they are. These are from our very own Vetal Tekdi (that's a hill right in the centre of Pune city). These photos are misleading about size of the flowers which are at the most the size of a thumbnail! Despite this tiny size, they are eye catching!The plant size is from about ankle height up to knee height.

Here we go..

Flower of Ledebouria sp . Now Scilla.  Blooms after first rains and only lasts a few days.

Chlorophytum so. Seen only in specific spots after the first rains.

Iphigenia sp

Cyanotis sp. This usually keeps flowering all through the monsoon. 

Phyla sp. 

Neanotis sp.

Another sp of Neanotis. Had flowers in 2 colours though its not clear in this image. 

As the season progresses, other varieties will bloom. I hope I can photograph them and shar them here. 

Next month (September) is also the time to enjoy the beauty of Kas Pathar which is home to several ephimerals that paint the ground in different colours. But thats for another post!! :-)

How is the weather in your part of the world and which plants are blooming in the rains?

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

Creeper or Tree (ThursdayTreeLove)

 Woody Liana is a term for large creepers and the one I am sharing today is found mostly at the foothills of the Himalayas. As far as I know, there are two of them growing in Pune and they seem quite happy in our warmer climate.

In Marathi, Woody Liana is called Maha Vel which literally translates as Massive Creeper. This gives a hint to the size this plant can achieve.

Here is an image of the base of the Bauhinia vahlii creeper  of the Caesalpiniaceae family.. You can easily appreciate how big is the actual plant. In Marathi its name is Kanchan Vel.

Also called the Maloo Creeper, it is said to be the biggest liana in India and this image shows how extensively it has grown to cover all the massive trees in the Empress garden. When in bloom (Apr - Jun) the entire canopy is covered with beautiful large flowers. Similar to the other Bauhinias it has two lobed leaves that resemble camels feet. 

My image doesn't really do justice to the flowers.. but you can get an idea

It is said that Bauhinia vahlii is an enemy of the plants it grows over. 

Pretty flowers

Have you noticed this lovely Liana? Or can it be a tree? 

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