Obataimu's Tree Lover Guide to Colaba
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OBATAIMU’S TREE LOVER GUIDE STAR APPLE LUCKYBEAN TO COLABA TREE Imagine a neighborhood mapped by trees instead of streets for the pedestrian, for the wanderer. Mumbai is literally a jungle-city, a jungle that has been conquered. This map is a celebration of those trees that have grown with the city, may we fall in love with them again and may there be many more trees than cars in the future of our precious cultural center of Mumbai. MAHOGANY STAR APPLE Chrysophyllum cainito — also known way to India from Polynesia , where the quadr angular, as Star Apple or Pomme de Lait — is a tropical tree, box-shaped fruits are used to heal wounds. The native to the West Indies and the Greater Antilles. tree blooms all year round, and its pink and white A beautiful, tall tree with dark brown wood and deep powder-puff flowers have an intoxicating smell green ovate leaves, its fruits are delicious eaten that fills the nights and early mornings with their on their own or made into a juice. The underside perfume. The bark contains a called Saponin that — of the leaves are covered in a fine, golden fur that when crushed into water — can be used to stun fish illuminates the entire crown from below, making it a (making it easier to catch them!) Find them all along BOXFRUIT delight to watch on a sunny day (this is also why it is t h e c o a s t , w i t h a p a r t i c u l a r ly m a g n i f i c e n t s p e c i m e n a t TREE called Swarnapathry or ‘golden-leaved’ in Malyalam.) t h e e n t r a n c e t o t h e M u m b a i U n i v e r s i t y F o r t C a m p u s . Find this tree by Flora Fountain or by the horse in Kala Ghoda. LUCKYBEAN TREE Also called Putranjiva — child’s life — in Bengali, Drypetes roxburghii is a lush MAHOGANY Swietenia mahogani — or Peddakula- evergreen tree with drooping, pendant branches. maghani in Telugu — is native to tropical america. Native to West Bengal, its hard, round seeds are A strong, evergreen tree that was brought to India h i d d e n , a l m o s t c a m o u f l a g e d , i n i t s v o l u m i n o u s l e a v e s . to be used for furniture and ship-building, it is Once found, they are used as amulets, strung onto identifiable by its dark , cr acked bark . Look out for its thread and tied around anklets and wrists. They are jagged-edged leaves that are asymmetrical on the b e l i e v e d t o p r o t e c t c h il d r e n f r o m n e g at i v e e n e r g y a n d bottom and seem to quiver uncertainly in the wind! b a d s p i r i t s . F o u n d i n e v e r g r e e n f o r e s t s a l o n g s w a m p s It flowers in April and May, showering the ground and rivers, you’ll have an easier time finding one on b e n e a t h i t w i t h t i n y, f r a g r a n t w h i t e f l o w e r s t h a t c r e a t e t h e l a n e b e s i d e s S a s s o o n R e a d i n g R o o m . NEEM an inviting carpet of soft petals to walk on. Prized TREE for its deep, rich-toned wood, Mahogany became an NEEM TREE Azadirachta indica i s a n i n c r e dib ly u s e f u l , e s s e n t i a l w o o d f o r B r i t i s h f u r n i t u r e - m a k i n g i n t h e 18 t h e ver gr e en t r e e found all over the cit y. Native to the century, and the period came to be called the ‘Age of Indian subcontinent, its name comes from Azad Mahogany.’ Spot them across the high-court in Fort Darakht — Persian for ‘Noble Tree’. Its oil can be a n d b y t h e h o r s e s t a t u e i n K a l a G h o d a . u s e d a s a n o r g a nic pe s t icide ; i t s le ave s , po w de r e d, as a herbal antibiotic and antiseptic. Most people BOXFRUIT TREE Barringtonia asiatica — also known bathe in Neem Leaf-infused water when they have as Samudra-phal in Hindi or ‘ocean-fruit’ — found its chicken pox. In some parts of India, a mix of Neem blossoms, leaves and Jaggery is eaten on special FLAME AMHERSTIA Indigenous to Myanmar, Amherstia occasions, to bring in both ‘sweet’ and ‘bitter’ into Nobilis is a small Burmese evergreen shrub that was one’s life. Find them as you walk through the smaller brought all the way to Bombay, where it is now planted lanes close to Victoria Terminus and in the High in the Mumbai University Fort Campus. Its large drooping Court garden. leaves and small size make it hard to spot...until it b l o s s o m s e a r ly i n t h e y e a r — l o o k o u t f o r i t s s p ik y, p e n d a n t JAMUN Jambool, Jamun or Java-Plum, Syzigium — like vermilion flowers that bring a sudden burst of cumini is a hardy evergreen tree with thick bark, colour onto the tree. It is incredibly rare to find one in sweeping branches and delicious purple fruits that the wild, and it is hardly ever found in its native habitat, a r e p r a i s e d f o r t h e i r t h e r a p e u t i c q u a l i t i e s — t o n i f y i n g although widely cultivated in the tr opic s . It is gr own using JAMUN a n d p H b a l a n c i n g — a s w e l l a s f o r t h e i r t a n g y - s w e e t , air-layering since it hardly fruits and when it does, its a s t r i n g e n t f l a v o u r. N a t u r a l I c e c r e a m d o e s a n a m a z i n g seeds are often produced infertile. It is named after Lady s p e c i a l e di t i o n J a m u n I c e - c r e a m e a c h s u m m e r s e a s o n A m h e r s t , W i f e o f t h e G o v e r n o r G e n e r a l o f B e n g a l . that is as delicious as it is surprising! Find many varieties throughout the city, with two par ticularly BREADFRUIT Delicious fried, mashed or as a gluten- b e a u t i f u l , t o w e r i n g t r e e s b o r d e r i n g C r o s s M a i d a n a n d free flour substitute, Artocarpus altilis — breadfruit RAIN TREE opposite the High Court. in English, Nirphanas in Marathi — is steadily gaining popularity in health food circles; however, they’re PONGAMIA Pongamia pinnata — or Karanj — as it is late on the game! Native to the Pacific-Oceania l o c a l ly k n o w n i n M a r a t h i , i s d e c i d u o u s l e g u m e t r e e . I t s region, people have been cooking with Breadfruit FLAME a bil i t y to f ix Ni t r og e n in th e g r o u n d m a k e s i t a u s e f ul AMHERSTIA here for ever! It was introduced by British and French t r e e t o r e s t o r e s o i l n u t r i t i o n .