Take a walk past the Richmond Park, opposite the Hockey stadium, where the Tabebuia impetiginosa or the Purple Trumpet Tree is spectacularly in bloom.
Below the thick bunches of vibrant purple/pink flowers, crowds sit enjoying bhel puri and masala puri chatting away in the chill evening air.
Close to the Public Library building too which is in the Cubbon Park and around the Vidhana Soudha and the General Post Office (GPO) there are specimens blooming spectacularly as well.
A delicate tree, small to medium in stature the Tabebuia impetiginosa grows from as small as 12 feet to about 20 feet.
The tree is perfectly happy with full sun.
Purple Trumpet is strong and requires a minimum amount of watering and tends to shoot up during the rains.
Ranjini Kamath, an avid flower lover who lives on Brunton Road, says, “Definitely one of my favourite trees, this is a winter Tabebuia which makes such a charming sight along avenues — more so because I do not notice other trees in bloom at this time. Come to think of it, I have seen this tree only in Bangalore.”
The flowers sport a very nice yellow throat, but the flower does not do well as a cut flower in a vase, so don’t even try to cut some and bring indoors.
Almost totally evergreen, the Purple Trumpet is very briefly bare of leaves at bloom time, so you see the full glory of 100 percent blooms in winter every year, in Bengaluru.
Also, a very nice feature is this tree’s open leaf canopy which allows plenty of sun to reach the ground, so growing grass and other plants under your Purple Trumpet is fine and is a plus point for a gardener.
“I always wait for November when the pink tabebuias are out in their captivating splendour, when every leaf has abandoned ship, leaving a breathtaking pink canopy overhead.
This year was extra special...my mum was having a surgery, so before we reported to the hospital I took her to Cubbon Park to have a soothing afternoon under the pink blossoms,” shares Berenice da Gama Rose, who lives in Frazer Town.
At the moment the trees are at their best across the city, so do get out your cameras and never mind how amateur your photographic skills are, pictures of these trees at this time come out picture perfect.
