Bengaluru

Tabebuia Rosea

Tabebuia Argentea

Lalbagh Botanical Garden

Bangalore

By Iffath FathimaSpring comes early. The flowering trees that giveits garden city identity -(with light pink flowers),(yellow flowers), White Tebebuia (pinkish white flowers) have had an early flowering. Bengaluru is said to have the highest concentration of avenue Tabebuias in the India, a species which thrives in tropical countries and has been largely planted along avenues.The Tabebuia rosea, known as Pink Pouis, originated from Mexico, Venezuela and Ecuador. They start shedding their leaves by March and then the flowers start to bloom, forming a pale pink canopy over the city. The flowering period goes on till the month of May. However, this year the Pink Pouis have blossomed in December in many places like the Cubbon Park, Cubbon Road, Lalbagh and Jayanagar. Similarly the White Tabebuia have also had their early flowering season. The Tabebuia Argentea, a native of South America, which usually blossoms in March, has started blooming in early January.Experts say the reason for the early blossoms is climate change. “It is rare to see all the flowers bloom at the same time, as they have different blooming periods. This is due to the varied climatic conditions of last year. The combination of heavy rains and high temperatures have caused this early flowering. However there are 13 different species of the Tabebuia, and currently Bengaluru has three of these, said Dr M Jagadeesh,’s, Joint Director of the Horticulture department. Professor of Geology atUniversity, Dr T J Renuka Prasad added, “Bengaluru has beautiful climatic conditions. This time, there has been an early snow line crossing in Chandigarh, which means the temperatures are coming down drastically and this has affected the Bengaluru conditions too. This is making these trees to produce beautiful flowers.”If you want to bring home this beauty, tree doctor Vijay Nishanth says this is the right time. “The city’s weather right now is apt for growing the tree. Tabebuia saplings are easily available in government nurseries. Choose a sapling of your choice, plant it in a sunny spot and water it weekly once, until the tree has grown about three to four feet in height. Make sure the spot you choose has enough space for it to grow. After the tree has reached about four feet, the tree is fairly fuss-free. These trees grow fast. They also attract many bees.” You could also grow these trees by obtaining the seeds. Says Nishanth, “The Tabebuia generates seeds soon after flowering. You can collect the seeds and soak them overnight in water. They can later be planted in the soil once the seedlings have sprouted.”