In the sixth issue of our newsletter dated 4 May 2019, we introduced readers to five trees of Urbania:
In this issue we learn about five more trees of the community. Of course, if we total all types of trees at Rustomjee Urbania that is in range of 50. Here is the list of five more trees of Rustomjee Urbania. The trees have been chosen from those planted in large numbers. The details also include where you can find the trees in the community.
Indian Almond: This is not the tree which produces almonds but has a seed resembling an almond in colour and taste and thus gets its name (note that it is called Indian Almond). This tree has radial branching - its branches originate at same point on its trunk in a whorl. The tree has large dark-green leathery oblong leaves (the fruits resemble the leaves in shape and colour - both go from green to maroon as they age) and bears spikes of tiny white flowers. These flowers grow to be oblong fruits and green to start with and turning reddish and purple as they ripen. The sour fibre of the fruit mesocarp is eaten (not very appealing but as children we all are game for anything). When you get through the fibre you end with the seed inside the fruit. You have to actually crack open the shell outside the seed to get to the almond-like seed. Rustomjee has planted these trees on the north east section of C level facing the school of Azziano Phase II. Those trees have started flowering and fruiting. There are some more in Urban Farming Zone too.
Alstonia scholaris or Scholar's Tree:
Driving towards Rabodi this October I noticed one tall Scholar's Tree in flower on our right after the bridge on the nalah. The tree was in flower top to bottom. Other trees in vicinity too were in flower. Going to Jambli Naka the same day, I noticed that most of the Scholar's Trees there too were in flower. This is the flower that adds fragrance to your October evenings. In fact the aroma is to strong it is bewitching and overpowering (sensitive people can actually get a headache) when the tree has fully bloomed. The white flowers in bunches are attractive and colour the tree white. They drop on ground below creating a white floral carpet. The tree has radial branching meaning branches arise at the same point. Leaves too are whorled. The leaves arise seven in number in one whorl giving the tree the Sanskrit name Sapta Parni or Seven Leaved One. The tree is called by several names including Scholar's Tree and Devil's tree. The former name is due to use of it's wood in making slates for children and also blackboards. The tag of Devil's tree is on account of superstition engendered by even cattle shunning the tree due to its poisonous milky white latex. All parts of the tree are poisonous but used in Ayurveda extensively for many ailments including dysentery, fever, ulcers etc. Scholar's Tree leaves were being given to graduates of Viswa Bharati University at the convocation. The practice is now done symbolically with only one leaf being given to the Vice Chancellor to avoid denuding trees of leaves. At Rustomjee Urbania this is one of the most common trees on podium level of Azziano. It has also been planted on the internal road leading upto Azziano Phase II.
Close up of Scholar’s tree flowers opposite Rustomjee Cambridge International School
Champa: Sampige in Kannada and Sampangi in Tamil is a good tree to have in our community. It is a tall tree that bears very fragrant flowers. At Malleshwaram locality of Bangalore, an important road is called Sampige Road as it still has many Sampige trees. The Champa flowers creamish or yellow are not very large but very fragrant and popular in worship. One variety is called Kenda Sampige or Hot Coal Champa due to its orangish yellow hue. Our Azziano Phase II trees will be good addition when they start flowering. At C level they complement the Tabeubias or Pink Trumpet flowers. Both Champas and Tabeubias are tall trees, the former bearing yellow and the later bearing delicate pink flowers. One of the residents has grown Champas in her apartment balcony!
Pink Tabeubia: This tree had been planted on the podium by Rustomjee both at Azziano ABC and Azziano Phase II. At Azziano Phase II you can see it both on the creek side wall and the wall facing Acura. This is a spectacular flowering tree and you can say is our equivalent of the Japanese Cherry Blossom. Along rhe Eastern Express Highway (EEH) at Vikhroli one can see it along the highway on the western side during winter. When flowering the tree is leafless but is full of blooms that are light pink. A carpet of flowers can be found beneath the trees as all trees in a row tend to flower together creating a pink wall. At Urbania the trees being at the podium have not flowered very well so far and may also be because they are still very young. The flowers are trumpet shaped and so the tree is called Pink Trumpet. When Tabeubias at Urbania all bloom together either in the winter of 2019 or the next it will be quite a sight. At Azziano ABC Tabeubias have flowered already and at Phase III we saw a few flowers on some of the trees. Pink Tabeubias on EEH are all the rage in winter with leafless trees covered in pink flowers and a pink carpet below giving an ethereal loom to the scene.
Gorgeous Tabeubia or Pink Trumpet on Eastern Express Highway
Plumeria: We lived for some years at Nahar's Amrit Shakti where all buildings are named after flowers. One building we lived in was called Frangipani. This is the name for Plumeria - a small tree that bears flowers in white, yellow, pink and red. Some flowers have shades of one colour or combination of two colours. The tree can have leathery and glossy leaves or rough leaves based on variety. The stem has latex - a Milky secretion. This is one of the most common trees of Rustomjee Urbania and is found all around including by the roads, at the Urban Farming Zone and the podium level at Azziano. Plumeria is very common across Asia and also is grown in South and North America. The flowers are used for worship and also for making garlands exchanged during weddings. The Hawaiian floral garlands are made of Plumeria. Fragrance from the flowers is used to make incense sticks. Some of the trees have beem affceted my pests - mealy bugs - which can be identified by small cottony masses on the stem. This tree can be propagated by stem cuttings.
White Plumeria at Azziano shot at night