Summer shades of Delhi: Amaltas, Gulmohar, Jacaranda and Jarul
Look around and find Nature at work, to paint a vibrant scenery for your eyes only! Those in Delhi can spot the blooming Amaltas, Gulmohar, Jacaranda and Jarul trees, which make for a unique summer palette with their mesmerising shades of yellow, red, blue, purple and pink adorning the skyline as well as the ground.
The heat may have wiped out Delhi’s spring blooms, but not without bringing its own seasonal beauty to the streets and bylanes of the city. One look around, and one can find mesmerising shades of yellow, red, blue, purple and pink adorning not just the skyline but also beautifying the ground by rolling out vibrant petal carpets. These are from some of the flowering trees in summer, which can be spotted in the Capital during this time of the year.
The yellow magic of Amaltas
Ah, the good ol’ golden showers of Amaltas! Also called Indian Laburnum, purging cassia and even pudding pipe tree, this amber beauty is back this season with the low-hanging Amaltas flowers blooming everywhere your eyes can see, from parks to public places. Martin Raj, a manager with a Chanakyapuri-based bank, shares how citizens can catch this beauty in action like he spots them while playing table tennis with friends in the evening, at Nehru Park. The youngster adds: “We have been coming here since like 20 years, and the Amaltas blooms every summer, making it a visual delight for our table tennis sessions. It’s very pleasant to play near them. Such a relief to the sore eyes!”
A scarlet letter from Gulmohar
The feisty red flower canopies of the summer tree Gulmohar, or Delonix regia, can be spotted from far, especially when they are in groups. “That warm breeze passing by and the soft aroma of those Gulmohar blossoms in my college take away all my stress. Seeing those flowers under that scorching sunlight along with the shade that it casts, make me feel at peace,” says Labhanshi Mittal, a second year student of BA (Hons) Applied Psychology at Shyama Prasad Mukherji College For Women, Delhi University. She adds: “As Stephanie Skeem said ‘Flowers don’t tell, they show’, it showed me the beauty of the world and how much we can appreciate the small things in our life.”
Violet spell of Jacaranda
Also part of Delhi’s beautiful natural landscapes are these blue-purple flowers (hence the name Neeli Gulmohar) that one can’t spot as much as a Gulmohar or Amaltas, but are still as resplendent. “Jacarandas are impressive trees in May when covered with clusters of blue tubular flowers. Flamboyant might be an understatement to describe a jacaranda tree in full bloom,” says Avneesh Banswal, a Delhi-based horticulturist, adding: “Explosions of brightly-coloured purple flowers cover the tree’s canopy, making it an eye candy for all to see and behold. These make attractive specimen trees and its flowers fall off leaving a carpet of purple beneath the tree. They also work well when along a sidewalk, as shade trees, or planted among evergreen trees, as they continue to add colour to the area when they drop their leaves in late autumn and winter.”
Pink-purple dreams of Jarul
“Jarul is also called the Pride of India,” informs Dr Ambrish Mithal, a city-based endocrinologist and an avid photographer known for documenting the city’s trees on his social media. “I am discovering the Jarul these days, and love to do this exploration on Sunday mornings. Recently, while passing by the Safdarjung flyover one day, I spotted these trees, not shrubs, with beautiful pinkish flowers on top. I also found them near Safdarjung’s Tomb, and they’re amazing to take pictures of.”
Author tweets @siddhijainn
