Lalbagh to get 500 new species

Lalbagh to get 500 new species
Rare Varieties To Come From Ooty, Puducherry; 75 Already Planted
Dipannita Das | TNN

Bangalore: The next time you visit Lalbagh, there will be many more exotic, rare and indigenous trees adorning the sprawling 240 acres of the garden.
The botanical garden will soon acquire 500 new plant species of different origins from gardens in Ooty and Puducherry and over 15 private nurseries. This will add to its already substantial collection of 1,854 species.
The plants to be introduced include flowering climbers like Philippines jade vine, rincho spermum jasminoides that bears white fragrant flowers, flowering bamboo, cyprus and juniferus. The garden will also display species of passion fruit.
Rare flowering trees native to England like clitoria arboria, evodia arullena and cretaeva religiosa will also be seen. Climbers will be shaped as animals to add to the topiary.
Horticulture director K Ramakrishnappa told The Times of India with the onset of monsoon, this is the ideal time for planting. “There is a lot of vacant space that needs to be filled up. Moreover, there are many old trees that have lost vigour and chances of them falling due to heavy rain are high. These trees need to replaced,” he said.
As part of an exchange programme, Lalbagh will give 150 species raised by its nursery to the Pondicherry garden and in turn acquire new species from them.
It will purchase other exotic species from private nurseries. Lalbagh has already planted around 75 species in the past oneand-a-half months. The rest will be planted in the next 15-20 days.
UNIQUE TO LALBAGH
Saraka typengensis, that blooms yellow flowers in the month of December. A rare plant, native of Malaysia, it is located behind the garden office. A gigantic 300-year-old silk cotton tree near the West gate. Some of its huge roots can be seen over the ground.
Goicum officinalis, a purple flowering medicinal plant. It is a slow growing tree and the bark is used for allergic ailments. It is located near the main gate.
Delinia indica, commonly called the elephant tree as its leaves are used for polishing ivory. The shoot is consumed by elephants and the leaves are used in pickles in West Bengal and Kerala.
Melalopsis elangi, an avenue tree. Its ‘bird nest’ fruit is eaten by birds and the tree stands at Plumeria Lawn in Lalbagh.
Water tree park
A vacant area of around 30 acres towards the north side of Lalbagh, behind a rocky area, is going to be converted to a water tree park with an artificial waterfall. The soil in this area is 3-4 feet shallow, so aquatic plants, climbers and shrubs that can survive in such conditions will be planted. The development of this area will start soon at a cost of Rs 2-3 crore.