The Silver Oaks leaves are painted on the boards, along with the gate number, outside each gate of the complex. This is the official logo of the Society and is repli-cated on the stationery and
all official communication.
When a visitor enquired, my interest was piqued and I tried to find out more about it. We had just taken the beautiful trees for granted till then and had not given much thought to the trees after which our complex is named.
We have more than 60 Silver oak trees around the complex, planted on the periphery. They act as windbreakers besides beautifying the area. This tree is not a part of the oak tree family but belongs to the macadamia nut tree family. It gets its name from the silvery effect of the underside of its leaves, reflecting the sheen. It is an Australian native.
It generally grows between 18 to 35 metres tall. The leaves are about 15 to 30 cm long and resemble a fern frond. It takes a long time, sometimes more than 30 years, to start flowering. The flowers are really beautiful, brush-like, yellow-orange. We’ve not seen much flowering yet on our trees and are eagerly awaiting the same.
Although silver oaks are evergreen, they shed their leaves especially on windy days, creating large amounts of leaf litter which needs to be swept to keep the area clean. The wood is brittle and branches can break in a storm or high-velocity winds.
by Anita Sood (Silver Oak Aptts, 9876610980)
