Lockdown Diary 15: Copper Pod Tree

 Yesterday I wrote about the Kapok tree. Today I feel like writing about another tree that has been a constant in my life - it has been everywhere during my childhood and growing days - near my school, my college, my hostel. It has been part of every city I have lived in. It is a huge tree with yellow flowers. Known as copper pod tree or sonmohar in marathi, this tree is an ornamental tree that usually finds a place on footpaths and in gardens. The tree is also called yellow flamboyant, yellow flame, or the flame tree due to its beautiful yellow flowers.

I like the bipinnate leaf structure, with small leaflets on each pinna which look like small homogeneous communities living together. The tree is known for its medicinal value. But for me this tree has always been a solace from the scorching heat of the sun. It has provided me the much needed shade especially when returning home after school. It has shielded the road to my home with its branches forming a canopy high above me. The flowers form a yellow carpet on the ground. We also used the flowers for decorating greeting cards and as bookmarks. The leaflets were used by many of us to play the game of ‘love me, love me not’ during our teenage years. This evergreen tree also houses many different birds and insects which chirp along melodiously during the day and night. Squirrels too enjoy running around it’s branches. If lucky, one gets to see geckos and chameleons too on this tree.

The tree is indeed a wonder of nature. Another gem that we need to protect and ensure that it spreads in abundance everywhere.

Originally posted on Facebook on April 8, 2020