Come December and commuters passing by Cubbon Park, High Court and Vidhana Soudha are treated to the soothing sight of pink blossoms on leafless trees.
The splendorous Tabebuia, a genus of flowering plants, finds its place near Queens Statue, Band Stand, Hudson Circle, Koti Thope and near King Edward’s Statue. The Horticulture Department’s Cubbon Park Division is developing Tabebuia varieties to be planted at these spots.
Deputy Director of Horticulture Mahantesh Murgod told Express the department has around 20 Tabebuia trees within Cubbon Park, 10 on the High Court premises and eight tress at Vidhana Soudha.
He said the department is in the process of identifying small germinated seeds of Tabebuia Avellanedae, (also called deep pink trumpet flower tree), Tabebuia Rosea (pale pink flowers) and Tabebuia Argentea (yellow flowers). The department’s staff will move these to its nursery for better growth before planting the saplings at identified spots in and around Cubbon Park, he added.
With its origins in the Latin America, the Tabebuia blooms during November-December and February- March. The tree sheds all its leaves and the pink blossoms stand against the bark.
The challenge in growing these varieties is that the seeds are tiny and on an average, only 10 of a 100 seeds may germinate.
The department has been trained to identify and move the saplings at an early stage of growth and nurture them in the nursery. Every two months, farm yard mixture, pongamia powder and horse manure is added to nurture the trees and saplings.
A Flowery Walkway
Along with planting the Tabebuia varieties, the Horticulture Department is also planning to extend the arched walkway, from the Tennis Stadium up to the end of the road connects to Kasturba Road. The walkway will be covered with the pink flowers of Thunbergia Mysorensis, also called Mysore Trumpetvine or Indian Clock Vine, that will take two years to bloom. The Public Works Department will also work on extending the walkway. The department has already planted 1,000 saplings of Plumeria Pudica, a plant that blooms throughout the year, along the way from Hudson Circle to the Library.