by Dr. Roli Shukul Thapar (11142)
About six months back we started a journey here in Samvada to get on first-name basis with our most generous neighbours- The Trees around us! Today we take one more step in that
direction by introducing to you the Hedges in One Hamlet.
We have in earlier articles spoken of the numerous Areca Palm and Broad Leaf Palm Hedges that line the walking path closest to the towers on the park side so today we acquaint ourselves first with the favourite hedge plant in our Hamlet and that is Ficus. We mainly have Ficus microcarpa or Indian Laurel fig hedges around in Hamlet. You will be hard-pressed to think from its 2 feet high height in Hamlet but growing on its own in the right ecosystem (read jungle) this Ficus can swallow 60 feet buildings whole and has in several ancient monuments like Angkor Wat or closer home Ranthambore & Bandhavgarh.
We also have the cousin of Ficus microcarpa, Ficus benjamina here in Hamlet. To distinguish between the two, you will have to look at the leaves while Ficus b. has long droopy leaves (hence its other name weeping fig), his country cousin Ficus microcarpa has stout short leaves. The presence of figs can also alert you to the plant being a microcarpa and not benjamina.
We also use several flowering plants here in Hamlet as Hedges among them are Hibiscus, Ixora, Yellow Bells, Bougainvillea, and another cousin pair- The Oleanders.
The Hibiscus lines several of our walking paths but it is or rather was conspicuously present at the tennis court across tower 12, where it did form a nice dense bush. Alas! While the corona pandemic hit us humans the mealy bug epidemic hit the hibiscus denizens and now you see several bald patches near the tennis court.
Ixora is a flowering shrub-tree and we have it in Hamlet in red and white. Though an evergreen in peninsular India and Sri-Lanka its native habitat it has a lean season in our bio-region. You can see it in bloom now but enter winter and it is down to a stubby wooden stem.
All about our boundary facing Janpath, we have the Yellow Bells and Bougainvillea lined up, a rather gorgeous display in season. My favourite Bougainvillea in Hamlet resides near the clubhouse. It has gracefully and wholesomely climbed to the top of the clubhouse and makes for an impressive sight.
We also have Nerium oleander colloquially called the “pink kaner” as a popular hedge. So sturdy is this plant and so well adapted to our soils that you see it being used as a gardening “scotch tape” equivalent for wherever nothing grows, the latest example being the bald hibiscus patch.
Cousin to the “pink kaner” is the yellow oleander (Cascabela thevetia), severally present but conspicuously around the generator room near the commercial gate entry point. I would urge the toddler/dog/cat parents to not allow their wards to wallow about the yellow oleander. It is poisonous.
Drawing the line-up of hedge plants in Hamlet to a close with an invite to WhatsApp me on +919566043006 if you would like to join an upcoming Tree Walk in Hamlet.
