Tree talk - Kadamba

We are used to regular visitors to Puttenahalli Lake calling up after spotting a new bird but Sapana's call yesterday was about a tree flowering for the first time. This was not any ordinary tree but a Kadamba! With such fond hope we had bought a sapling in July 2010 and planted it at a spot that would allow it to grow tall. Said to be a quick growing tree, ours has taken six years to flower. We rushed to the spot and stood below the Kadamba enthralled at the sight of the soft orange powder puff balls hanging in such large numbers. It is sights like this that make our work so exciting and rewarding. 

The Kadamba (Neolamarckia cadamba) has a wealth of religious and cultural significance attached to it. See these links: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolamarckia_cadamba, 

http://giftingtrees.blogspot.in/2011/03/favourite-tree-of-god.html

The photos don't quite do justice to the exquisite flowers. Please visit the lake and see them. Take your children along. This tree is located opposite the island near the fence on the coconut grove side. Its neighbours, a Flame of the Forest and a Gooseberry still have some growing to do before we write about them in Tree Talk. 

If you are observant, you will notice another Kadamba like tree growing on the edge of the water to the right of the island. We did not plant it here and are still puzzled about how a seed could have landed and taken root. We are waiting for it to flower and establish its identity once and for all!  

How didn't we spot the Kadamba flower ourselves? Because we are bogged down with so much work that we often miss the beautiful sights we have created around and in the lake. Many hands make less work. Help us maintain our lovely lake. Become a PNLIT volunteer.

Usha