Campus Trees ( ThursdayTreeLove)

Here are some trees that I saw at the Stanford University campus.. the famous Ivy League institution. They added to the intense academic and intellectual aura of the campus and had me in total awe!

Scroll down for a glimpse of some of the beautiful trees.

Possibly a Pine. The quadruple trunk was fascinating!
An Oak in fiery russet foliage

This is just a glimpse. The vast campus would have many treasures from the plant kingdom making it the ideal place to study and research.

The dramatic white trunk and golden leaves were eye catching. Is it a Sycamore ???

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

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Multisensory Experience (ThursdayTreeLove)

Todays post features trees differently.. Rather I am just sharing images of a unique experience that I was lucky to have last month. 

The Chicago Botanic Garden has an annual light festival called Lightscape around Christmas and we were to visit. Our tickets were for a 9PM entry hence cold was certainly what I expected but beyond that I really did not know what to look forward to. 

But what I experienced was totally mind blowing. Again, a phone camera is totally inadequate to capture the ambience but I that does not stop me from sharing the images. I am sure some of our TTL bloggers from the US would have this or seen similar winter light displays. 

Getting back to the garden, we entered via a lit up archway and then walked on an about 1.25 mile-trail (about 2.01 kms) trail. Different artists had decorated each area in different themes using different lights, music and even other special effects like lasers, music, fire (all with due safety precautions!). 

Coming as I do from a tropical region, walking at below 0Deg C at night was daunting. But our hosts ensured we were warmly and securely clad which made the walk totally enjoyable and memorable. The entire visit was an grand surreal, multisensory experience. 

It was not a walk meant to identify trees. Rather I could appreciate their shapes and growth patterns which were high-lighted by the various lights. 

The moon held its own in the night sky despite the (artificial) million lights glittering below and  we could spot its reflection in the lake as well. 

Here is my humble attempt to capture memories of my visit. 
I heavily recommend a visit to this garden at any time of the year and the Christmas light show if possible (I am told tickets get sold out in November itself).

Image credit to Rajendra Sonarikar. 

Neon Tree architecture
Eerily beautiful

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

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Calm (ThursdayTreeLove)

“Looking out over the lake, I felt enveloped in the most peaceful, loving utopia.” – Laurie Kahn
Tree photo

My daughter sent me this image as she was struck by the beauty of the blue lake and the tree growing in it. It was impossible to identify the tree, or what made its branches look white. Was it hosting some birds? Or had its leaves turned white for some reason?

The lake itself was still and beautiful and the tree seemed happy to grow in the middle of the water.

All that mattered was the feeling of calm afforded by the view.

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!

Wall Cover (ThursdayTreeLove)

This Y shaped plant was just as attractive as the beautiful castle in Krakow. Moving closer I found it to be full of lovely flowers and bees! After going around to view treasures in the museum, I made a beeline to capture this Hedera helix (that was its botanical name) in my camera.

Hedera helix at the castel

This is a climber of the Araliaceae family with pretty palmate leaves . It is grown to cover walls and fences. In this location it seems to have been trained to grow in a specific pattern, but the species is said to be potentially invasive.

Flowers

Here in Pune, Ficus pumila and the Curtain Creeper (Tarlmounia elliptica) are commonly used to cover walls. The Hedera helix is uncommon in my city and I remember its unique shape and flowers as vividly as the wonderful exhibits from the castle.

What plants have you noticed as wall covers? Have you seen the Ivy?

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

Tree Boulevard (ThursdayTreeLove)

Due to issues with WordPress, I could not put up this post here on Thursday. Hence I had written about my tree on Blogger .. I am still unable to upload images here..

So Click here to read about the the Unter der Linden and see the images.. it is an arterial road in Berlin named after a tree .. namely The Linden.

Lindens belong to the Malvaceae family (Hibiscus family).  The trees I saw had heart shaped leaves with toothed margin. 

Our guide said she hated to park under a Linden as the car would be full of sticky substance the next morning! My research showed that it was not plant exudate to blame but the Aphids that infest the plant!

Click here to see my images of Unter der Linden.

I have always wondered what factors guide species choice when roadside plantation is done. 

In his book Trees of Delhi, the author Pradip Krishen, discusses why particular species may have been chosen to line avenues in Lutyens Delhi. Apparently evergreen species which do not grow very tall (size and shape of trees) were a factor. 

New York streets are said to have predominantly male Gingko trees. 

But I am not sure how many cities have roads named for trees growing there! 

A big Yay for Unter den Linden!!

What have you noticed about the species lining trees in your city? Do you know of other streets named after trees?

Update: I now know of a road named after the Cypress!!

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

Wander Into Nature (ThursdayTreeLove)

And Nature, the old nurse, took

The Child upon her knee,

Saying: ‘Here is a story -book

Thy Father has written for thee.’

‘Come, wander with me’, she said,

Into regions yet untrod;

And read what is still unread

In the manuscripts of God.’

Longfellow The Fiftieth Birthday of Agassiz

I came across these words recently on the first page of a book I am reading and they immediately reminded me of the Bhorgiri trek we took a few years ago. It was one of my first experiences of walking out in Nature and being the monsoon the experience was fantastic. One that I have craved for again and again. To feel free and to experience Nature as it is meant to be.

Here are a few images from that wonderful outing.

Till date, I have not identified this tree.. And it was the only bare leafless one, surrounded by a profuse burst of green.
The mist covered hill beckoned us …
Some Orchid on the tree.. could not photograph properly due to the rain
We walked through a thick jungle, over rocks and gurgling streams.. the forest showed some of its mysteries to us..
The entire countryside was covered in a glorious green carpet..

I did identify some trees and herbs, but the lasting impression was of the green countryside… Raw. Rejuvenated. Glorious.

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.

More Morning Hues (Wordless Wednesday)

A beach in Goa..
The Sun rises in Goa
The sugarcane fields were in bloom and I could not resist trying to capture the glowing inflorescence from the moving vehicle. The camera does no justice to the beautiful scene..

Posting a day late, but I am sure you will enjoy these images of beautiful mornings ..

I am joining Natasha in her #WW blog hop.

Offspring (ThursdayTreeLove)

A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees – Amelia Earhart

While roots of trees are underground in most cases , plants do grow aerial roots. The Ficus species is the easily recognisable example. When the hanging root touches ground, a new tree is born at that spot. Over time, the single tree has several offsprings and it becomes a forest!!

The Great Banyan at the Botanical Garden in Kolkata, the Banyan at Pemgiri and the Banyan at Auroville are famous for creating such forests.

Have you seen these or other similar ancient Ficus?

Your city would surely have mini versions of such new trees.

Here are two lovely roadside trees that provide a shelter from Sun or Rain to passerby’s. A wonderful spot for evening chats!

And a cool spot to park a vehicle 😉

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Do head over to see some fantastic trees from around thecworld.

Better still, join in!!

Happy Diwali folks!!!

May this festival of lights bring good Health and Happiness to everyone!

Autumn Colours (ThursdayTreeLove)

“Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower” – Albert Camus

Looking at Autumn or Fall colours is a right on top of my Tree Travel wish lists.. I have always just got a glimpse of the glorious foliage never really catching the plants in their full Fall Glory.

As the above quote says, each leaf dons a spectacular unique colour that truly makes it look like a flower.

Here are a few images from my travels.. I am looking forward to the day when I can see the Fall Colours with my own eyes.. sigh…. Till then, I look forward to the TTL posts from around the world in the next couple of month..

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!

Brush (ThursdayTreeLove)

A visit to the Acharya Jagdish Chandra Bose Botanical Garden in Kolkata was at the end of our trip to the Sunderbans. It was a botanically wondrous trip to say the least! The Garden itself is huge and home to unique trees like the famous Banyan


Here is another tree that I met for the first and only time! A beautiful red brush like structure beckoned me from a distance and located as it was amid leaves had me immediately thinking of the Shaving Brush tree (Pseudobombax ellipticum) which does grow in Pune. However when I went closer, the tree looked different especially its leaves. It was end of January and the digitate glossy green leaves suggested a different ID. 

Seen from afar

Luckily for me, the placard saved me the trouble and I could freely admire the Pachira aquatica without any stress of identification. It belongs to the Bombacaceae family just like the Shaving Brush Tree which explained the similarity in the flowers. Also known as Malabar Chestnut tree it is an introduced species in India. I loved its flowers which are nothing like those used for table decorations or bouquets. 

Flower and Fruit
Leaves


Have you seen this wonderful tree? When in Kolkata please do make time for the botanical garden! 
I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove Blog hop. Do head over to see some wonderful trees from around the world. Better still, join in!

Tree Trunk