New plants to take root in Lalbagh

Around 25 species of ornamental and fruit-bearing plants will be introduced

New species of ornamental, medicinal, commercial and fruit-bearing trees are to welcome you on your next visit to Lalbagh Botanical Gardens here.

The over 200-year-old garden is to get around 25 new species from the National Botanical Garden, Kolkata.

“We have brought species…that could suit Bangalore’s climate,” deputy director of the gardens J. Gunavanth told presspersons here on Monday. “We are identifying space across the gardens to plant them, as there is a space crunch,” he said.

Among those being introduced are palm varieties such as thatch, gingerbread, cabbage, feather, feather duster, desert fan, Nicobar and ruffled fan palms. Some other plant species are velvet apple, star apple, Hanuman phal, brush cherry, as well as poon, empress, olive bark and locust trees. Most of these species are natives of South America, tropical Asian countries, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and Africa.

Replacement

This comes even as around 50 to 60 species are planned to be replaced. Some of these trees are more than 100 years old. “An old tree fell last week and many others are old,” Mr. Gunavanth added.

Directory

The largest lung space in Bangalore, covering a sprawling 400 acres, Lalbagh is now home to 1,916 species.

The Horticulture Department plans to come out with a handbook or directory of plants in the gardens for the benefit of visitors. “Endangered species that are over 100 years old will be featured in the handbook,” Horticulture Department Director D.L. Maheswar said.