Ever tried the ficus trail in Lalbagh? It can be fun. Here is a brief photo story of the same.
The 240 acre Lalbagh is a wonderful treasure house of heritage trees. There are so many secrets in this paradise of greenery and you will explore and learn from it in this post called the ficus trail of Lalbagh.
Ficus are very ancient trees perhaps more than 60 million years old. They are ancient giants. Ficus evolved long before humans existed. In other words when the giant T-Rex stomped through forests, little fig trees were already standing tall. They survived meteors, ice ages, and all kinds of crazy adventures — and here they are today, in Lalbagh as well.
Role of ficus in eco system
A tree such an ancient one gives shelter to numerous animals and birds. Squirrels, butterflies, bats,birds all roam freely around this tree. It is a micro habitat giving shelter to one and all. And its roots are huge. If you look at its aerial roots it helps form a mini forest.More about this later. Its fig fruits are food for birds, insects.Fig trees produce fruit all year round — even when other trees don’t. Their figs feed birds, bats, monkeys, squirrels, insects, and many others.Like all trees, ficus species absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, helping clean the air and fight climate change. In short Ficus trees are life-givers — feeding, sheltering, healing, and connecting countless forms of life.
So to make this fun, here is a ficus trail created for you in Lalbagh. The trail starts at Lalbagh West Gate near the lake , goes around the Glass house and you can exit out at Lalbagh rock. The distance covered is around 2 kms and the trail duration is around 1-2 hours.
The good old Banyan near Lake
What a magnificent tree isn’t it? It is the good old Banyan tree; scientific name Ficus benghalensis. The ficus in the name stands for genre that indicates the broader family group; ficus is a big plant family that includes over 800 species of trees, shrubs, and vines. And the benghalensis stands for the species name and which also denotes which kind of tree. In this case benghalensis is a Latin name that says Bengal.
Here’s the story behind it.
When European botanists were first classifying plants in India (in the 1700s and 1800s), they saw this enormous tree growing commonly in Bengal (and across India). It was the tree under which village merchants — called “banyans”(from the Gujarati word vāṇiya, meaning trader) — used to sit and do business.So they called it:
Ficus benghalensis = The fig tree from Bengal, where the banyans sit.
Later, the English word “banyan” came to mean the tree itself, not the trader!
The Banyan doesn’t grow in a forest — it becomes a forest. Its branches send roots into the ground that turn into new trunks, so one tree can spread wider than a football field! Sometimes the forest can be more than 3-4 acres itself as in the case of Big Banyan Tree in Bangalore.
The ancient Peepal
Who does not recognise this tree? It is the grand old Peepal tree- Ficus religiosa is its scientific name. The word religiosa comes from Latin, meaning “religious” or “sacred,” because this tree is deeply respected in Indian culture — it’s said that Buddha attained enlightenment under one.
If you ask me it is a tree that never sleeps — keeping the air alive while the world rests.Its massive leaves and dense canopy help purify air and symbolically “breathe life” even when people sleep.
Peepal is a revered tree in our community. Women ties threads around it asking for long life and stability. It is besides a Neem tree in a Nagakatte or snake temple. For Hindus it is a sacred tree as it is a belief that it is a form of Lord Krishna. For Buddhists too it is sacred as Buddha obtained enlightenment underneath a Peepal tree.
Both Banyan and Peepal tree barks are used in Hindu ceremonies to light sacred fire for rituals and prayers.
The intriguing Krishna Fig
This is Ficus krishnae or the Krishna Fig. Each leaf forms a natural cup, and legend says little Krishna hid his stolen butter in it. It’s hardy and stable, especially in warm climates. Its leaves rarely fall suddenly unless it’s under real stress.
This is a tree that was discovered late only in the last 120 years or so. When you plant a seed of this species, you never know if Krishna fig will grow or the good old Banyan tree. Because 9 times out of 10 , a Banyan may sprout. The only way to get this out is through plant propagation. Krishna Fig is a sub species of Banyan tree.
The tree shown here is more than 150 years old.
The hairy fig
This is the Ficus hispida, also known as the Rough-leaved Fig or Hairy Fig.It is a small to medium tree with rough, sandpaper-like leaves covered in tiny white hairs.
It grows in moist, shady places, even along riverbanks where most trees would drown. Its roots hold the soil and prevent erosion, acting like a natural sponge during rains.Its figs ripen year-round, which means birds, bats, and monkeys always find something to eat. When other trees stop fruiting, Ficus hispida keeps the jungle cafeteria open!The leaves are so rough that kids in villages have used them as natural scrubbing pads — to clean utensils, remove mud from hands, or even polish cricket balls!
The Mysore Fig near Glass House
This is the Ficus mysorensis – Mysore Fig. Its leaves and fruits are densely hairy, giving it a unique woolly texture unlike other figs.Its hairy leaves reduce water loss and provide shade to understory plants.