Golden Grass (Wordless Wednesday)
Surprise (ThursdayTreeLove)
A walk on the hills of my city has become a part of my life and its something I crave for once there is a gap of more than 2 days. Ever since I started noticing the trees, I unknowingly keep track of them – at least those on my route. I know species that grow on the hill and where.
Or so I thought.
So it was a huge surprise when I came across this particular tree … Not one or two but an entire avenue as it were…
Which reminded me of John Muir’s words..
“In every walk with nature, one receives far more that one seeks”
Or so I thought.
So it was a huge surprise when I came across this particular tree … Not one or two but an entire avenue as it were…
Which reminded me of John Muir’s words..
“In every walk with nature, one receives far more that one seeks”
|
| Happily Surprised |
This is the Garari which goes by the botanical name of Cleistanthus collinus of the Euphorbiaceae family. Its dark green leaves and almost black fissured trunk are quite attractive but the leaves, bark and roots are said to be poisonous.
Obviously, the hills will continue to surprise … Never take things for granted!
Have you been surprised by trees in your neighbourhood?
I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Do head over to see some fantastic trees from around the world. Better still join in.
We are celebrating Diwali here in India so here’s wishing everyone..
Happy Prosperous Healthy Diwali! Lets see, learn from and appreciate what Mother Nature has to offer!
Survivor (ThursdayTreeLove)
This is my second ThursdayTreeLove post with the same title! Its not for lack of creativity but this seems to be the apt choice for the tree that I want to share.
My alternative title for today was Living Fossil.
With that, some of you may have guessed the ID of my tree.
That’s right! This is the Ginkgo biloba which is known for its brilliant yellow Fall Foliage.
I saw the above tree in the premises of a temple in Tokyo and it seemed to have its apex burnt off by lightning. It was obviously a very old tree judging by the texture and girth and appearance of the trunk. Despite losing its apex at some point, the tree had developed new lateral branches and continued to flourish. It did have some protection around it but visitors were not really interested in this.
Ginkgo biloba is a gymnosperm which means the seeds are not covered by true fruit. It tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, disturbed environments and air pollution. In fact, six Ginkgo trees even survived the A-blast of 06 August 1945 in Hiroshima. It is commonly seen as an avenue tree in urban areas – New York, Shanghai, Tokyo (some cities that I spotted the Ginkgo). It is called a living fossil because it is the only living species of its group.
Ginkgos boast pretty fan shaped leaves which are very distinctive. It is dioecious which means female and male specimens are separate. Most trees planted in cities are male because the fruit like seed has a foul smell when it falls to the ground!
This is among my favourite species, especially for its wonderful leaves.
Do you have the Ginkgo growing in your city?
I am joining Parul in her #ThursdayTreeLove blog hop. Do head over to see some glorious trees from around the world.
Bracts (Wordless Wednesday)
Canopy (ThursdayTreeLove)
Rain Trees are fairly common avenue trees in Pune. I have been told that these were planted specifically because their canopies give good shade and they grow very fast. Many have massive trunks that cover the entire footpath forcing pedestrians to walk onto the road. Some would take five people holding hands to ’embrace’ the tree!
I have always seen these huge trees from the ground up. Recently I saw their canopies almost at an eye level from the sixth floor of a building. The foliage looked absolutely amazing — almost like green waves rolling in towards a beach!
Okkk that maybe a slight exaggeration but indeed the canopies are really beautiful.
Rain Tree (Albizia saman) is an exotic species in Pune and is found very commonly. It bears fragrant pink flowers that resemble Shireesh (Albizia lebbeck). This is but natural as the two are ‘cousins’ – botanically speaking.
Some of the older neighbourhoods in the city boast such Rain Tree-lined roads and the street below get bathed in the filtered sunlight thus staying fairly cool. Looking up, one can see a beautiful netted canopy created by the multiple branches and subbranches which glitters in the sun.
I am joining Parul in her bimonthly ThursdayTreeLove blog hop. Do head over to see some fantastic trees from around the world.
Better still, join in with your trees.
🙂
Passion Flower (Wordless Wednesday)
Survivor (ThursdayTreeLove)
Going through old travel photos is a wonderful way to relive the experience. Often the albums throw up surprises – like identifying a flower or tree ..
A relook at my Andaman trip album threw up a few images of trees that have survived the all-destructive Tsunami that hit the region in 2004.
On Ross Island, we saw this ancient Tree with an incredible root structure. It reminded me of the giant Silk Cotton tree in the Lalbagh Botanical Garden in Bengaluru.
If you zoom into the photo, you can see what may be a strangling Ficus growing on one of the branches.
An amazing tree that has stood the test of time and Nature’s Fury.
I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Do head over to see some amazing trees from around the world.
Better still, if you have a photo of a tree that has caught your eye, then do join us in this bimonthly tree fiesta!
Stay healthy and happy folks!
Network (Wordless Wednesday)
Monsoon Magic (Wordless Wednesday)
Monsoon Magic (Wordless Wednesday)
