Three city-based botanists conducting the tree census, however, followed the trail and surely ended up in front of a lush tree growing near the boundary wall of a private bungalow.
The tree was flowering at that time and the seeds strangely were shaped like socks. The botanists who were researching trees in the city found out that the tree (Myroxylon balsamum), a native of Peru, is the only such tree in the city and has been here for almost 60 years! Yet, none of them could explain how it got here in the first place.
“The tree is not part of a private or a public garden and is growing on the roadside. It’s extraordinary that despite being from a different continent, sharing none of the soil and climatic conditions of the city, this particular tree was able to flourish here without any special care from anyone,” says Dr Chandrapant Latto, who was a faculty member of the Institute of Science and together with Dr Mugdha Karnik and Dr Sharad Chapekar co-authored the book ‘Sentrees of Mumbai’ chronicling the several tree species that call Mumbai their home. The socks tree is just one of such trees from distant lands that have sprouted in SoBo inexplicably and have baffled experts.
Another roadside wonder is the mighty Padouk tree which botanists call the ‘Emperor of all Mumbai trees’. Although a native of distant Andaman Islands; a handful of these trees have been able to spread their roots in SoBo. A particular pair named by botanists as the ‘twin giants of Matunga’ stand tall at the southern-end of the flyover adjoining Aurora Cinema that leads to King’s Circle.
With light green foliage and yellow flowers this tree specie does not only make for a pretty sight, but the huge canopy also provides shade for much of the locality. You can also spot the mighty Padouk near the BSNL building near Churchgate and at Cooperage Garden.
If giant-sized trees don’t awe you, then sheer survivability of a tree surely will. To see this wonder, however, you will have to trek it up to the boundary of Kamala Nehru Park that faces the sea. Here, exceptionally long roots are anchored on a steep jagged rock face approximately three-storey high.
That’s right, this tree Enterolobium Cyclocarpum griseb or Elephant Ear Pod tree is supported by hard rock. This South American specie, a native of Panama, Mexico and Costa Rica got its name from its fruit which is shaped like an elephant ear. Only one other tree is located in the city at Rani Baug.
The one at Kamala Nehru Park is still a baby as it still hasn’t reached its full size yet, experts will tell you despite it being about 60 years old.
The botanist trio were relentless in their pursuit to document every tree they thought was special. In their quest, they also made their way onto Doongerwadi territory, which houses the Tower of Silence of the Parsis at Malabar Hill, which is otherwise out of bounds for outsiders. After securing special permissions, they were able to document one of the Dome Palms (Hyphaene Dichotoma furtabo) in the city.
“Usually palm trees don’t branch but this one has several branches. It is for this reason that we named it ‘Raavan taad’, because just as Raavan has many heads this palm, too, has several branches,” explains Dr Lattoo. Although this specie is found in the Konkan region, this particular tree is one of the only two trees in Mumbai. The other one is also located in SoBo, near the water tank at Mazgaon Hill.
Another uncommon palm specie, the Talipot Palm (Corypha Umbraculifera cinn) is a resident of Jijamata Udyan and is wide ranging specie that is found in Australia, Sri Lanka and several parts of Asia but is exceptionally rare in the city. The botanists were fortunate to have spotted this one when it was flowering, which is only once in 45 years.
“What makes the Talipot Palm so special is that its flower blooms on the central axis or stem of the tree, unlike any other palm species. Once it has flowered, the tree slowly begins to die. In a span of about two years after flowering, the tree gradually sheds all its leaves and finally its stem breaks up. It is fascinating and symbolic how this tree embraces death,” says Dr Lattoo.
So what are the future of these trees? Do we stand the chance of losing these treasures now since there are so few of them? “Many of these tree species flower from time to time but their seeds won’t germinate for a variety of reasons.
The chance soil conditions that nurtured the parent tree may not exist anymore or the seeds may not have the proper pollinator. Hence, seeds will not germinate. Nevertheless, I am very optimistic about the existing trees as their life span is great and are expected to live for several hundred years. Besides people are more conscious about conserving these trees nowadays,” explains Dr Lattoo.
In a rapidly changing city, these trees are perhaps the only living things that will stand the test of time and which generations of SoBo residents can cherish. That is, if the road-widening doesn’t get them first.