Thursday, October 17, 2013

Fragrance of Alstonia (ul-STON-E-uh) scholaris,  is around here in Lahore. Are you familiar?


  •         Can grow up to 40 feet height. Foliage is green and magnificent, adding grace to the road. I have been impressed by its foliage since 1975. When I joined the army and posted to Kharian Cantonment. I walked many a times under it, at midnight after availing weekends at Lahore. It is a shady tree. Wood is light weight.


  •       It is also called Devil Tree. All parts are poisonous. Birds don’t make nests, not friendly. It can be trained. Make a shady canopy. Ruthlessly cut to trunk would sprout again.Young trees need to be protected during harsh winters- December and January. In Nowshera and Attock its top gets burnt to black.

 When planting ask for this flowering kind of Alstonia..   
Photo by Rashad 

  •      Flowers ( pale green ) appear during  October in Lahore on Alstonia or Devil tree. To me, smell resembles as cardamom added to the milk. Smell surrounds if a flowering plant is in the compound of the house.  At Sialkot, it used to enter through the ventilators and linger on after the sunset.
Photo by Rashad.

  •            Park at McDonald’s, Y Block, Phase 3, DHA, Lahore has some trees with flowers. All trees don’t bear flowers. Evening walkers are welcomed by the fragrance from a distance. Please, notice it now.
17 October 2013, Lahore, Pakistan. Photo by Rashad



  
Fragrance and nectar of the Devil T--- to charm the Butterfly.
17 Oct 13. Lahore Pakistan. Photo by Rashad

Is it really a Devil tree? 17 October 2013. DSOM.
Photo by Rashad

When illuminated. It is colorfully festive.
Photo by Rashad.  17 October 2013.

Moony   look…..Enjoy the Devil Tree. 
Walk out when moon is out.  But look up…. Man! 
Photo by Rashad 
Happy reading and viewing. Good Night. 
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6 comments:

  1. UnknownJuly 30, 2014 at 1:37 PM

    Alstonia tree is not a native tee to Lahore. Birds are appalled by it and it is harmful for the them. Whole Lahore is filled with them, only crows make nest on it. Why do we even plant it? What about the huge and deciduous Pipal, Banyan, Neem etc. Birds were attracted to these tree, not The Alstonia tree.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownSeptember 10, 2019 at 9:19 AM

    Do all the trees of alastonia flowers prodice frarence.Dr Ejaz 03009639660

    ReplyDelete
  3. Muhammad DilaverOctober 12, 2019 at 8:00 AM

    Dear Sir.
    I want seeds alstonia tree Seed for a Foundation. Please guide me. Jazak Allah.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Muhammad DilaverOctober 12, 2019 at 8:01 AM

    Dear Sir.
    I want seeds alstonia tree for a Foundation. Please guide me. Jazak Allah.

    ReplyDelete
  5. ZeitgeistMay 16, 2021 at 8:56 AM

    This is awfull tree attract milibug and now whole lahore is infested with the bug every spring.please do not plant i would rather suggest cut and plant some native tree instead

    ReplyDelete
  6. Doug jonesFebruary 10, 2022 at 1:00 AM

    Yes it's a really good article visit here too kharian cantt

    ReplyDelete

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