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News: Delhi has four distinct seasons, and its trees mark seasonal changes through their foliage and flowers, making them messengers of the passing time.
About Saptaparni (Alstonia scholaris)
- The Saptaparni (Alstonia scholaris) flowers in autumn and continues till December.
- Name: Its Sanskrit name refers to the seven leaves at the end of its branches.
- Sapta means seven, and parni means leaves.
- It is also known as the Devil’s Tree because it is believed to be the abode of yakshis and evil spirits in parts of India, especially Kerala.
- This belief is linked to its intoxicating night-time fragrance and toxic milky latex.
- Uses: Its wood was once carved into slates for children.
- Significance: It is not indigenous to Delhi’s local ecology and became part of its seasonal landscape after its introduction in the 1940s.
About Arjuna
- The Arjuna tree flowers in autumn, during the same period as Saptaparni.
- Flowers: Its flowers are light and fragrant.
- Medicinal Value: Its bark is an important heart medicine in Ayurveda.
Semal (Bombax ceiba)
- Semal is also known as shalmali.
- Flowers: Its large red and orange flowers bloom on leafless branches in spring.
- Its leafless branches expose the flowers to pollinators.
- Wildlife: Parakeets, hornbills, yellow-footed pigeons, squirrels and bulbuls visit it during its month-long flowering season.
- Uses: Its seed fibres, known as silk cotton, are used to make pillows and form the central core of the Holika Dahan fire.
- Seasonal Delicacy: Its unopened flower buds are eaten in Delhi and tribal areas of Assam, Manipur and Meghalaya.
About Mulberry (Shahtoot)
- The Mulberry is native to China and arrived in India centuries ago, possibly through the Silk Route.
- Fruit: Its berries ripen in April and May.
- Importance: It hosts silkworms and provides food for birds and animals.
About Chamrod
- The Chamrod flowers from March to early April, marking the transition from spring to summer.
- It has tiny, nose-pin-sized white flowers.
- Ecological Importance: Its edible berries, which grow in small clusters, provide food for birds and squirrels.
- Adaptability: It grows well in dry conditions and requires very little care.
- Cultural Significance: The tree is worshipped in some regions of Maharashtra, but this practice is not followed in Delhi.
About Pilkhan
- Pilkhan’s new leaves change from coppery and purple to red and bronze before turning green by mid-April.
- Pollination: A tiny wasp pollinates its flowers hidden inside figs.
- Fruiting: Its figs ripen during the monsoon.
About Amaltas (Cassia fistula)
- The Amaltas (Cassia fistula) is a native tree, known as the Indian laburnum.
- It is mentioned in the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
- Flowering: It thrives in harsh summer heat.
- Its golden flowers bloom from late April to early June.
- Medicinal and Economic Value: Its Sanskrit name, Aragwadha, means “disease destroyer.”
- Its fruit pulp is used as a laxative in Ayurveda.
- Ecological Importance: Jackals and civets help disperse its seeds.
About Kaim (Mitragyna parvifolia)
- The Kaim is a member of the coffee family.
- Flowering: It flowers from July to September.
- Flowers: It produces small, creamy-white spherical flower heads with a delicate fragrance.
- Habitat: It thrives in sandy beds and seasonal streams, where softer tree species cannot survive.
About Kadamb (Neolamarckia cadamba)
- The Kadamb (Neolamarckia cadamba) blooms in August and September.
- Significance: Botanists identify Kaim as the true Kadamb of Krishna’s Vrindavan, where Rasleela is believed to have taken place under these trees.
