Exotic Look- Just Watch Star Fruit Tree

Averrhoa (avrOH-A) carambola- Star Fruit Tree 

1. It grows up to 30 feet height. Conducive to Climate of Lahore. (USA Zone 10a- 11). A useful edible fruit tree.
2. Star fruit slices are added to salads. Leaves, roots, fruit used for making pickles, jellies and juices. Unripe fruit used for dying, removing stains and cleaning brass. 

An evergreen shady tree. Bagh Jinnah. 
Photo by Rashad. 25 Oct 13 

A younger tree.Jinnah Garden. 
Photo by Rashad. 25 Oct 13

Bloom pink and violet repeatedly. 25 Oct 13

Fruit on the trunk- oblong and ribbed.
Has both sweet and sour. Photo by Rashad

Eye the yellow ripe one.
Cut it laterally to find the five point star. Photo Rashad

Shades Blend. Enjoy the shades of colors and sun. 
Photo by Rashad. Bagh Jinnah

• Happy reading and viewing readers!

Chorisia (Ko RiZ E Ah) in Bloom

Shower of Colors at Jinnah Garden, Lahore

Take Time to be there

• There are varieties of Chorisia such as;  Chorisia insignis- White Floss Silk Tree, Ceiba (SAY-buh) / Chorisia speciosa 'Arcadia'- pink bloom, Ceiba/ Chorisia speciosa- pink bloom, Ceiba/ Chorisia speciosa 'Variegata'- pink bloom, Ceiba speciosa 'Majestic Beauty‘ -Thornless Floss Silk Tree - pink bloom. 
• They reach up to 40 feet in height. Conducive to Lahore climate. Generally thrive US ADA hardiness Zone 9a- 10b/ 11. Medicinal gum is obtained besides the oil from seeds. Deciduous plant. 

Sit under the white flower shower- 25 Oct 13

Last Post Call- Bugal or Flower?  Do enjoy before the last post
Photo 15 Feb 13

Join the walk at Bagh Jinnah- nice weather after 4 pm. 25 Oct 13

Pink color shower, Sarwar Colony, Lahore

Fruit is a capsule filled with silky cotton. A view on 15 Feb 13

Light pink bloom. Jiinah Bagh- Photo 25 Oct 13, 

• Happy reading and viewing, readers.

Ravenala (ra-VEN-ah-la) madagascariensis, Local Name Banana Palm- An Accent Plant

It is also called "Traveler's Palm", and ‘Fan Palm'. It can achieve a height upto 40 feet. It is hardy to US Zone 9a to 11. Lahore climate is conducive. Parts are poisonous. Bloom color is green or white. Attractive to BBB- birds, butterflies and bees. 

Evening look. Along Sarwar Road. Lahore.
 Photo 22 October 2013

Distinctive Plant. DeSOM, Lahore. 17 Oct 13

Flowering- Shape resembles with Birds of Paradise
Photo 17 Oct 13

Along the pavement.
Can grow indoor,but becomes massive.

Clumping due to suckers of plant.
Can live on low water once established.

Happy reading and viewing!

Azadirachta (ay-zaydi-RaK-Tuh) indica, Neem Tree-( Neem).

 A plant for future!

• A native plant to Lahore, Pakistan. When I was in class II. We had a Neem tree in the yard of our house at Multan Cantonment. Under the influence of my grandmother I had the bitter pleasure of having the essence of leaves boiled in water. I had to also taste the fruit a yellow drupe or (Nimoli), elliptical in shape.  Never after that.
• A medicinal plant all the way. My wife has been prescribing us, one to two crushed leaves daily before lunch. We abandoned this practice at Nowshera, as it was devoid of Neem tree. We have been keeping dried Neem leaves in the boxes for saving the clothes. Its twig is used as (Muswak)- tooth brush.
• Last week I went to" Girja Chowk" Lahore Cantonment, and visited St Mary Magdalene Church (Girja), constructed in 1857. A period of 165 years has added grace to the architectural beauty. Compound is still giving space to some Neem trees.

Neem bears creamy white flowers like the color of building.
Photo 17 Oct 2013

Claiming a height up to 60 feet.  Won’t you agree?

Roundish Compound leaf, leaflets-

 Its ever green.  Leaves are regained quickly.

An elegant roadside tree. 

Wood is resistant to termite and spreads 50 feet.

 Rahat Bakers. Sarwar Road Lahore. 22 Oct 13

Sun likes to set behind this tree. Photo 22 Oct 13.

An effective insecticide and savior of house plants.

 Still stout & vigorously pushing out shoots. 

May you maintain the gifted vigor in you!

Happy reading and viewing, readers.

Caryotas  (carry- O- TA) - Fish Tail Palm, A commonly Planted Palm in Residential Lahore!

•      A handsome 40- 60 feet tall. Hardy to US zone 9b- 11. It is evergreen and can be tucked indoors. Be careful with its parts poisonous/ allergic. But never mind, many plants are like that. Likes moist conditions.  Somewhat triangular leaves in shape have helped to give its popular name “Fish Tail Palm”.

Clustered Fishtail Palm,  ”Caryota mitis”   Facing East. 19 Oct 13

Lonesome Caryota  urens (your -ens)- Fishtail Wine Palm,
Toddy Palm, Jaggery Palm. Facing East. 19 Oct 13.

  Variegated Fishtail Palm? DHA EME mini Golf Course.
 Is it Caryota mitis 'Variegata‘? Be sure, please! 13 Oct 2013.

Seeds beads. Decorative colors. Facing south.19 Oct 13,

 Imagine the flowers. Is it hair style? 19 Oct 13

 Bipinnate leaves- Learn botany. Pinnate is leaflets 

arranged like a feather. 19 Oct 13.

A clump of greenery -Clustered Fishtail Palm, that has a
comparatively long life than singular- Fishtail Wine Palm.
So…Live together. Braving westerly sun.19 Oct 13.

Illuminate the festivity. Responsive. 15 Oct 13.

 Growing tale. Full shade, Partial shade, Light shade. 

Now approaching the sun. DHA Lahore. 19 Oct 13.

Happy reading and viewing....... readers

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. 

Plants in Lahore - Walled City

Plant Heritage of Lahore

• Plant heritage of Lahore is ancient. Pend the long road into the past. Let's enter the Walled City of Lahore through Delhi Gate. Move through it and turn left into a building named Shahi Hamam. On the briefing wall a picture tell you what was Lahore in 19th century.  The briefing person can give you some insight both in English and Urdu.

Sketch of Laore- 19th Century. Photo 19 Sep 2013
Leave the building with amazement. Walk through the 

narrow Bazar/ Market. Ascending street takes you to Masjid/ Mosque Wazir Khan. A wonderful colorful piece of architecture against my monochromatic view of dynamic Islam. Notice! What? Oh my goodness. Love of flora. Minaret and walls inside/ outside have exquisite floral designs. Diversity of flora. Craftsmanship of my beloved people. Form, flower, fruit, colors, vines, shrubs, trees reciting the harmony of joy composed in concept and implementation.  Is it an introduction to flora, architect or something else?  By your leave I lean to Flora. Glean the pictures and favor my point of view, please!

Southern Wall inside The Mosque Wazir Khan

Minaret Mosque Wazir Khan, Lahore, Pakistan, Photo 19 Sep 13 

Masjid Wazir Khan, 

Watch somewhat mirror imaging of floral designs.Mosque Wazir Khan

Grape Vine - Vitis (V-Tiss) 

Could you spot grapes in the picture. You do. Bunches.

Western Wall , Facing Makkah Masjid ul Haram, Mosque Wazir Khan, Lahore , Photo Sep 2013

And when I moved out of the Mosque. I found a grape vine in a narrow street. Sorry forgot street name.What a coincidence? Amazed or surprised? Love of plants in Lahore is still deep rooted. Bravo! Let us tend to agree. 

A hardy vine is conducive to Lahore Climate. Humans, birds and squirrels relish fresh bunches. Leaves were tasted during younger days, a little sour. Fruit used in jams, juices, jellies and wines. Raisins dried grapes is a good sweetener. I use it in the morning barley porridge and my friend General (R) Zahid Mubashir Sheikh with green tea. I adopted too. Vine can follow fences, trees, cover birds cages and lean to in the fields. Some shade during summers being deciduous. Many varieties and colors of grapes are available. Both edible and inedible. Certain imported varieties are got from Spain, France and California etc. Needs average water. Likes sun and Partial Shade. 
At Nowshera the vine remained under flood water (Jul 2010) for over 10 days and remained alive. Gave fruit next year. We covered the bunches but squirrels made the most.

Happy reading!