Trees of South India

When one travels to another hemisphere or latitude, the first thing one notices is that the vegetation has changed. I remember a close friend of mine remarking on returning to New Jersey from California after a long absence, “My God! It’s so green here.” It’s not that he didn’t know. It just strikes everyone - the sudden, abrupt, indelible change - made entirely possible these days by the invention of aircraft.

Australia, geographically isolated from the rest of the world, has no doubt the weirdest plants and animals on the planet; while my own foreign refuge, South India, continues to provide me with much wonderment as well. It’s a little tougher here in India where the population is so great and comprises so much of the landscape, especially in the urban centers. The climate can often be described only as unbearably hot – well over a hundred degrees at the height of day during the summer months. The saving grace, of course, is Chennai’s close proximity of the sea and, believe it or not, the Tamil reluctance to cut down trees. You frequently find yourself traveling on well-paved, modern roads, suddenly confronted with a sign that reads “Tree Ahead”; and sure enough, there’ll be a magnificent specimen clawing up out of the asphalt.

The accompanying pictures represent some of the trees I have found there; trees, that may not be familiar to arborists in the States. True, some version of these may be found in the greenhouses of the Bronx Botanic Garden, but otherwise you’d be hard pressed to find anything like it, even in tropical Florida.

There’s the Cannonball Tree, for instance, with Christmas tree-like ornaments also called ‘Naglingam’. It has amazingly fleshy and intricate flowers and a fruit that resembles (what else?) cannonballs.

Banyans are found in various parts of the tropical world. It is basically a fig tree. Older trees can spread out laterally using aerial prop roots to cover several acres. It is also the national tree of India.

The branching of the Baobab, transplanted from Africa, looks stunning, even here. It’s probably the strangest looking tree God ever created. Some Baobabs are reputed to be thousands of years old which cannot be verified as they produce no annual growth rings. When confronted with a Baobab one is somehow reminded of elephants; yet they were exclusively made for long-necked giraffes.

In India, the Neem Tree is routinely planted around human dwellings. It is said that when the wind wafts through its leaves, it is transformed and assumes antiseptic properties. It is variously known as "Divine Tree”, "Heal All”, "Village Pharmacy" and "Panacea for all diseases." Products made from neem have proven medicinal effects. It is considered a major component in Ayurvedic medicine.

The Peepal Tree (or Bodhi Tree) is the one under which the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. Here in India, the Hindus also consider it sacred. Often, shrines and temples are built around them.

The national fruit of India is the mango. It is plentiful and can be eaten as a fruit, vegetable, or pickle. There are many regional varieties. Each variety is vigorously celebrated and promoted with patriotic fervor. The Mango Tree’s canopy is wonderfully lush and dense and provides cool shade for all those passing underneath it.

The Tamarind Tree can grow up to 66 ft. in height and can withstand rather dry soils and climates. Its fruit is a brown pod-like legume, which contains a soft acidic pulp and many hard-coated seeds. Tamarind is used extensively in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh cuisines, where it is used to prepare the ever present rasam and sambhar.

There are too many species of palms here to mention. Palms effectively define the tropics for people who hail from the temperate zones. In India, one sees virtual oceans of Coconut, Banana, Decorative Travelers’, Date and Scrub Palms. In addition there are innumerable species of cactus. They all add spice to one’s tropical experience. The most prized real estate in Chennai (where most of these pictures were taken) is in areas where shade trees are abundant. Bougainvillea and Flame of the Forest provide brilliant color accents that intensify steadily as the heat of summer progresses.