Ms. Bharati Arvind Tripathi, Horticulture Consultant, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, discusses the use of native plants in landscape.
Planting native trees , shrubs and herbs in the garden will have an immediate impact on the environment, with insects like bees, butterflies getting attracted. It adds to the beauty , good health, fragrance, and planet resilience which is the need of the hour today. The native trees belong to a particular region and have adapted to environmental and social factors such as soil type, hydrology, microclimatic conditions, and human social influences. Due to the fast life that has crept into our lives, these trees are being destroyed, leaving the planet gasping for good air and peace. These trees have not only beauty but also have medicinal values. They add to the flora and fauna on the globe.
Some such plant includes: Helicteres isora - marodphali that has orange-red flowers rich in nectar inviting bees and many insects . It has spiralled screw like fruits attracting birds like bulbuls and humming birds. Grewia flavescens helps in fixing nitrogen in hard soils and can be grown along the roadsides, medians as it is hardy low maintenance plant. This can grow in small space also, can be pruned, and put in a soil where the soil is arid and deficient in nutrients. It has beautiful flowers and is almost ever green . Butea monosperma - Palash or Flame of the forest tree does not grow too tall but has plenty of leaves. This is a deciduous plant and fast growing and gives out beautiful red /orange/yellow/white flowers before the onset of summers. There are some medicinal plants, fast growing, with beautiful flowers too. Grewia flavescens, Holarrhena pubescens, Adhatoda vasica, Dichrostachys cinerea are some other species of native tall shrubs. Vitex negundo nirgundi is a very fast growing, medicinal plant with blue flowers having fragrance, and these are useful for hedges, roadside plantation. Mitragyna parviflora – Kaim grows into a big tree. Grewia tenax has lot of thorns, gives yellow berries and fragrant flowers. It has very attractive small leaves. It can be pruned and grown in medians and boundary walls. Ixora coccinea grows very well in semi shady places, very colourful flowers, glossy leaves, and it is a medium shrub. Lagerstroemia indica gets flowers in many colours, red, pink, white, magenta, and purple. Ougeinia oojeinense is grown in places where nothing else grows such as rocky area, arid zones, and saline areas. Dyerophytum indicum syn Plumbago socotrana is a small shrub found in rocky areas of Aravalli. Barleria ciristata is a shade loving shrub found in Aravalli. Mallotus philippensis- Kumkum tree produces red dye or Kumkum .It can be seen more in Sariska and Aravalli Biodiversity Park.
Lannea coromandelica is a big tree that requires 5 m x 5 m space to grow. The government authorities have to provide more space to grow these trees. This grows very well in rocky spaces and fallow lands where nothing grows. It helps in fixing nitrogen in the soil. Wrightia tinctoria has lot of fragrance, attracts bees, and it is ideal to attract wildlife such as butterflies and bees. Cadaba fruitcosa is seen mostly in Aravalli Biodiversity park. Barleria prionitis has lot of thorns, is a shrub, and it is ideal to be grown in landscape. Crateva religiosa can be seen aplenty in Mehrauli and is very good for nitrogen fixing. It improves the soil character and is useful to other trees and shrubs. Balanites roxburghii is like soap nut tree. The fruits are used for making soapy liquid. It was earlier used for cleaning the wool of goats and sheep by the villagers. Alangium salviifolium is a beautiful tree used for river front conservation. Baringtonia asiatica is seen along the river sides. This can be grown in gardens and roadsides. Filicium plants are beautiful in structure. And avenues are created with them giving an exotic feel.
We have seen how beautiful native plants can be, and we should make efforts to use them in our landscaping. There are a few challenges involved. Few of us know what varieties of shrubs or trees are native to our local places. Secondly, whether the plant that we are planting is ornamental, ecologically functional, and economically viable, we lack the knowledge. Thirdly, our nurserymen are not equipped with the kind of funds, the quantity of plants required for planting on a huge city or urban scale. So these things need to be worked on.
The benefits of native plants include low maintenance, beauty, healthy environment for people because no pesticide no anti-termites are used. The trees bring medicinal benefits with them, purify the air, cut down on noise pollution and dust. They help in maintaining the climate, conserve water as they need less water, but if they are in coastal area, they adapt to more water (mangroves), and also they help in sustaining wildlife. The important native trees of Delhi NCR region include: Acacia catechu , Vachellia nilotica syn Acacia nilotica , Mumisops elengi, Alstonia scholaris , Terminalia arjuna , Madhuca latifolia etc. Alstonia scholaris is a very important tree as it was earlier used to make blackboards. The flowers from this tree can cause some respiratory disturbances, and so this plant is banned by horticulture boards like Noida authority. Bauhinia verigata , Cassia fistula, Commiphora righae, and Dalbergia sp. are some other varieties of native trees.
We have to select the trees based on the climatic condition, edaphic selection, the soil needs, floral beauty, foliage beauty, whether they will improve the soil health, ecological development, and if they will help in noise and dust control. Climatically, they are divided into temperate, subtropical, tropical, coastal, arid, etc. The soil characteristics to consider are if it is clayey, with high pH, and based on this, we can have different tree for saline, arid, or marshy tracks. For a small garden in our houses, we can opt for Lagerstroemia thorelii, Gardenia gummifera, small citrus plants, drumstick, or ficus trees topiaries, Prosopis cineraria,Dychrostachis cineraria and we can have hedge gardens of Clerodendrum inermie , Ixora coccinea , Murraya paniculata etc. We can have hanging baskets with climbers, jasmine, asparagus racemosus , Clitoria ternatea - Aparajita, Thunbergia grandiflora, and many more depending on the place.
Often we find while traveling that our native trees like Peepal , Bargad , Neem , Palash , Gular , Pakad , Kachnar , Shisham etc. are disappearing or being replaced by spectacular flowering trees introduced by travellers like Delonix regia – Gulmohar , Jacaranda , Tabebuia argentia , Tabebuia rosea , Palms , Terminalia mantaly , Conocarpus lancifolius which though pleasing to eyes don’t add to local ecosystem . They have superficial root system , require more water and have smaller crown structure unable to sustain oxygen generation for the populated areas of our country. Of course as these don’t have any local pests are easy to maintain and hence favoured by the architects , landscape architects and the nurserymen -contractors . As a thinking human being we should promote and practice the planting of our own indigenous varieties . For a colourful engaging street we can have, Cassia fistula- Amaltas or Indian laburnum, Lagerstroemia speciosa , Lagerstroemia parviflora , Pterospermum acerifolium , Melia azedarach , Butea monosperma , Bombax ceiba , Bombax malabaricum , Saraca asoca , Barringtonia racemosa etc. The streets should have plants of all seasons along with nitrogen fixing trees. We need not remove all the things we have collected over a period of time, but we can use the native plants as much as possible. For avenue trees and garden creation, we can select plants like Bombax ceiba that have flowers of different colours. The new trees have to fight for survival now. Saraca asoca is another beautiful and nitrogen fixing tree which should be widely used. Heterophragma adenophyla, an ever green plant with yellow cup like flowers attracts birds and bees to it. For evergreen avenues we can have neem, asoka, and putranjiva. Ficus species trees need more space, and architects have to provide space for them. The chilbill tree is a huge one and needs space to grow. We are getting skyscrapers and dwarf trees which is not sustainable. For fragrance around us we can have astonia scolaris , Michelia champaca , Mimusops elengi, stereospermum chelonoides. We can give a spectacular appearance to a landscape using Bauhinia or Cochlospermum religiosum. Some plants like Cassia nodosa ,pongamia, Dalbergia, and Saraca asoca can be used in roadside development, service lanes, and main roads. Some trees are ever green, and grow in all kinds of conditions. Trees like Acacia catechu are good for soil and prevent soil erosion. We can have shade gardens and walkways with Alpinia varieties, lilies, and ixora. The Clerodendrum paniculatum – Pagoda flowers and other varieties of Clerodendrum have gone off the scene and should be brought back again. The nurserymen have to look for availability of these plants. Aravalli Biodiversity Park and Yamuna Biodiversity park have majority of trees , grasses , shrubs native to the region . More parks like theses should be developed.
How do native trees contribute to ecological balance in urban landscapes?
If I am planting a barleria, and a tree balanite, the flowers of barleria will attract butterflies and bees. The insects lay their eggs on the surrounding bushes leading to caterpillars coming out. Birds will have their nests up in trees and eat the caterpillars to give protein to their chicks. So there will be small mammals also, and if there is a boundary wall, it will create a nice ecological spot.
In what ways can the use of native trees enhance biodiversity in landscaping projects?
In urban spaces use of native species while doing ornamental landscape with three to four layers of plants i.e. trees – shrubs – groundcovers , grasses will provide robust ecosystem of small mammals to reptiles and beneficial living organisms like earthworms , bees , dragonflies etc. This in turn will bring in variety of birds to feast on the insect and worm population . Our children will get to see nightingales , hooppes , woodpeckers , parakeets , mynas etc. again. Landscape architects have to fight for space to make native plants survive. Skyscrapers with all amenities will not be sustainable. We have taken away the greenery. The bushes and small trees are of ornamental value and will not provide the oxygen we need. Our AQI is shooting up. We have metros coming in , skyscrapers coming up, and there is no place for trees and birds. We cannot survive for a long time if it goes on like this.
What are the key advantages of selecting native trees over exotic species in a landscape design?
We have to change our mindset. We have to see the beauty in our own plants, find the plant that will suit our purpose. Planting Terminalia mantaly as it does not take space and it remains green all the time, will not be the solution. We have to find place for Ashoka tree and give them due respect. We have to use them to save our environment. Natives are low maintenance, need almost no pesticides so provide healthy environs. They are hardy and suitable for given climatic conditions and provide food, shelter, protection from soil, water air erosion.
How do native trees support local wild life and insect population in urban environments?
The native plants grow well in particular places, lived for many years, and grown along with humans. They have the capability to sustain themselves and the wild life. All our plants have some problem or the other, but they regenerate after sometime. We have to keep a blind eye for some time to have the wild life survive. Arid zone plants have thorns ideal for making nests for the birds giving protection from snakes . These also provide loads of flowers rich in nectar and pollens thus able to sustain insect life subsequently the birds and their chicks. In some trees like Plumeria (an introduced tree) you will not find a single bee or bird.
Can you share some examples of successful landscape projects that prioritised the use of native trees?
We are doing Anath road renovation , 18 sector ,Gurugram where we are using native plants. I have given the list of native trees and plants for NIA – Noida international airport , Jewar. The streetscape should have flower or colourful foliage interest through out the year . Keeping this in mind various native trees and plant layers are given in Jewar , whether they will be planted actually cannot be guaranteed. The 18th sector is getting developed with native plants. We have also developed Bashapur forest corridor - Gurugram totally native.
What factors should a landscape architect consider when choosing native trees for specific areas?
He should consider climate, temperature, elevation factor, soil factor if it is clay or sandy or sandy loam etc, pH of the soil, if it is marshy land etc. , sunny or shaded area , based on that, it will be decided which plant will grow well.
How do native trees contribute to the resilience of landscapes in the face of climate change?
We have to learn, unlearn, and relearn things. So we have to learn about native plants before using them. Along the river Ganga and it’s tributaries we have done 90% of the plantation using native plant layers ( Namami Gange Project). From this, we learnt a lot, and we hope it reflects in our work in the near future.
How can community involvement be encouraged in planting and preserving native trees in urban areas?
Community is very important in preserving our tradition, culture, and trees. Right from Sundarlal Bahuguna ji’s Chipko movement to Narmada bachao abhiyaan it’s the people who have brought about the change. The CSR of different companies can add value to the venture. We take up works with companies where there is a CSR division.
What role does native trees play in promoting a sense of identity and cultural connection within the community?
Culture has a vital role in using native trees. Ayurveda is reviving the interest of people in native plants that have medicinal values. Since these plants earlier found growing wild in open fields and along waterways , are not available now, thus the cost of ayurvedic medicines have gone up. Culture is essential to save these plants and bring them back to our planet. Earlier Peepal , Bargad were not uprooted as they were considered sacred but today’s generation unaware about our culture , have no fear thus the large trees are getting removed without thought to the future. It is said that if you plant 5 trees – Peepal , Bargad , Pakad , Pilkhan , Gular – you get the punyas of having 1000 virtuous sons. Reason being these trees have large crowns , not much commercial value but immensely important for ants – birds – bat—mammals . With their large leafspans they give out more oxygen hence important for human population too.
The Bamboos , kadamb , harsingar , bakul , mango, tendu , kela etc. are part of our everyday life even now in rural areas . The human nature connect only can bring change in our mindsets and nature at large.
Planting native trees , shrubs and herbs in the garden will have an immediate impact on the environment, with insects like bees, butterflies getting attracted. It adds to the beauty , good health, fragrance, and planet resilience which is the need of the hour today. The native trees belong to a particular region and have adapted to environmental and social factors such as soil type, hydrology, microclimatic conditions, and human social influences. Due to the fast life that has crept into our lives, these trees are being destroyed, leaving the planet gasping for good air and peace. These trees have not only beauty but also have medicinal values. They add to the flora and fauna on the globe.
Some such plant includes: Helicteres isora - marodphali that has orange-red flowers rich in nectar inviting bees and many insects . It has spiralled screw like fruits attracting birds like bulbuls and humming birds. Grewia flavescens helps in fixing nitrogen in hard soils and can be grown along the roadsides, medians as it is hardy low maintenance plant. This can grow in small space also, can be pruned, and put in a soil where the soil is arid and deficient in nutrients. It has beautiful flowers and is almost ever green . Butea monosperma - Palash or Flame of the forest tree does not grow too tall but has plenty of leaves. This is a deciduous plant and fast growing and gives out beautiful red /orange/yellow/white flowers before the onset of summers. There are some medicinal plants, fast growing, with beautiful flowers too. Grewia flavescens, Holarrhena pubescens, Adhatoda vasica, Dichrostachys cinerea are some other species of native tall shrubs. Vitex negundo nirgundi is a very fast growing, medicinal plant with blue flowers having fragrance, and these are useful for hedges, roadside plantation. Mitragyna parviflora – Kaim grows into a big tree. Grewia tenax has lot of thorns, gives yellow berries and fragrant flowers. It has very attractive small leaves. It can be pruned and grown in medians and boundary walls. Ixora coccinea grows very well in semi shady places, very colourful flowers, glossy leaves, and it is a medium shrub. Lagerstroemia indica gets flowers in many colours, red, pink, white, magenta, and purple. Ougeinia oojeinense is grown in places where nothing else grows such as rocky area, arid zones, and saline areas. Dyerophytum indicum syn Plumbago socotrana is a small shrub found in rocky areas of Aravalli. Barleria ciristata is a shade loving shrub found in Aravalli. Mallotus philippensis- Kumkum tree produces red dye or Kumkum .It can be seen more in Sariska and Aravalli Biodiversity Park.
Lannea coromandelica is a big tree that requires 5 m x 5 m space to grow. The government authorities have to provide more space to grow these trees. This grows very well in rocky spaces and fallow lands where nothing grows. It helps in fixing nitrogen in the soil. Wrightia tinctoria has lot of fragrance, attracts bees, and it is ideal to attract wildlife such as butterflies and bees. Cadaba fruitcosa is seen mostly in Aravalli Biodiversity park. Barleria prionitis has lot of thorns, is a shrub, and it is ideal to be grown in landscape. Crateva religiosa can be seen aplenty in Mehrauli and is very good for nitrogen fixing. It improves the soil character and is useful to other trees and shrubs. Balanites roxburghii is like soap nut tree. The fruits are used for making soapy liquid. It was earlier used for cleaning the wool of goats and sheep by the villagers. Alangium salviifolium is a beautiful tree used for river front conservation. Baringtonia asiatica is seen along the river sides. This can be grown in gardens and roadsides. Filicium plants are beautiful in structure. And avenues are created with them giving an exotic feel.
We have seen how beautiful native plants can be, and we should make efforts to use them in our landscaping. There are a few challenges involved. Few of us know what varieties of shrubs or trees are native to our local places. Secondly, whether the plant that we are planting is ornamental, ecologically functional, and economically viable, we lack the knowledge. Thirdly, our nurserymen are not equipped with the kind of funds, the quantity of plants required for planting on a huge city or urban scale. So these things need to be worked on.
The benefits of native plants include low maintenance, beauty, healthy environment for people because no pesticide no anti-termites are used. The trees bring medicinal benefits with them, purify the air, cut down on noise pollution and dust. They help in maintaining the climate, conserve water as they need less water, but if they are in coastal area, they adapt to more water (mangroves), and also they help in sustaining wildlife. The important native trees of Delhi NCR region include: Acacia catechu , Vachellia nilotica syn Acacia nilotica , Mumisops elengi, Alstonia scholaris , Terminalia arjuna , Madhuca latifolia etc. Alstonia scholaris is a very important tree as it was earlier used to make blackboards. The flowers from this tree can cause some respiratory disturbances, and so this plant is banned by horticulture boards like Noida authority. Bauhinia verigata , Cassia fistula, Commiphora righae, and Dalbergia sp. are some other varieties of native trees.
We have to select the trees based on the climatic condition, edaphic selection, the soil needs, floral beauty, foliage beauty, whether they will improve the soil health, ecological development, and if they will help in noise and dust control. Climatically, they are divided into temperate, subtropical, tropical, coastal, arid, etc. The soil characteristics to consider are if it is clayey, with high pH, and based on this, we can have different tree for saline, arid, or marshy tracks. For a small garden in our houses, we can opt for Lagerstroemia thorelii, Gardenia gummifera, small citrus plants, drumstick, or ficus trees topiaries, Prosopis cineraria,Dychrostachis cineraria and we can have hedge gardens of Clerodendrum inermie , Ixora coccinea , Murraya paniculata etc. We can have hanging baskets with climbers, jasmine, asparagus racemosus , Clitoria ternatea - Aparajita, Thunbergia grandiflora, and many more depending on the place.
Often we find while traveling that our native trees like Peepal , Bargad , Neem , Palash , Gular , Pakad , Kachnar , Shisham etc. are disappearing or being replaced by spectacular flowering trees introduced by travellers like Delonix regia – Gulmohar , Jacaranda , Tabebuia argentia , Tabebuia rosea , Palms , Terminalia mantaly , Conocarpus lancifolius which though pleasing to eyes don’t add to local ecosystem . They have superficial root system , require more water and have smaller crown structure unable to sustain oxygen generation for the populated areas of our country. Of course as these don’t have any local pests are easy to maintain and hence favoured by the architects , landscape architects and the nurserymen -contractors . As a thinking human being we should promote and practice the planting of our own indigenous varieties . For a colourful engaging street we can have, Cassia fistula- Amaltas or Indian laburnum, Lagerstroemia speciosa , Lagerstroemia parviflora , Pterospermum acerifolium , Melia azedarach , Butea monosperma , Bombax ceiba , Bombax malabaricum , Saraca asoca , Barringtonia racemosa etc. The streets should have plants of all seasons along with nitrogen fixing trees. We need not remove all the things we have collected over a period of time, but we can use the native plants as much as possible. For avenue trees and garden creation, we can select plants like Bombax ceiba that have flowers of different colours. The new trees have to fight for survival now. Saraca asoca is another beautiful and nitrogen fixing tree which should be widely used. Heterophragma adenophyla, an ever green plant with yellow cup like flowers attracts birds and bees to it. For evergreen avenues we can have neem, asoka, and putranjiva. Ficus species trees need more space, and architects have to provide space for them. The chilbill tree is a huge one and needs space to grow. We are getting skyscrapers and dwarf trees which is not sustainable. For fragrance around us we can have astonia scolaris , Michelia champaca , Mimusops elengi, stereospermum chelonoides. We can give a spectacular appearance to a landscape using Bauhinia or Cochlospermum religiosum. Some plants like Cassia nodosa ,pongamia, Dalbergia, and Saraca asoca can be used in roadside development, service lanes, and main roads. Some trees are ever green, and grow in all kinds of conditions. Trees like Acacia catechu are good for soil and prevent soil erosion. We can have shade gardens and walkways with Alpinia varieties, lilies, and ixora. The Clerodendrum paniculatum – Pagoda flowers and other varieties of Clerodendrum have gone off the scene and should be brought back again. The nurserymen have to look for availability of these plants. Aravalli Biodiversity Park and Yamuna Biodiversity park have majority of trees , grasses , shrubs native to the region . More parks like theses should be developed.
How do native trees contribute to ecological balance in urban landscapes?
If I am planting a barleria, and a tree balanite, the flowers of barleria will attract butterflies and bees. The insects lay their eggs on the surrounding bushes leading to caterpillars coming out. Birds will have their nests up in trees and eat the caterpillars to give protein to their chicks. So there will be small mammals also, and if there is a boundary wall, it will create a nice ecological spot.
In what ways can the use of native trees enhance biodiversity in landscaping projects?
In urban spaces use of native species while doing ornamental landscape with three to four layers of plants i.e. trees – shrubs – groundcovers , grasses will provide robust ecosystem of small mammals to reptiles and beneficial living organisms like earthworms , bees , dragonflies etc. This in turn will bring in variety of birds to feast on the insect and worm population . Our children will get to see nightingales , hooppes , woodpeckers , parakeets , mynas etc. again. Landscape architects have to fight for space to make native plants survive. Skyscrapers with all amenities will not be sustainable. We have taken away the greenery. The bushes and small trees are of ornamental value and will not provide the oxygen we need. Our AQI is shooting up. We have metros coming in , skyscrapers coming up, and there is no place for trees and birds. We cannot survive for a long time if it goes on like this.
What are the key advantages of selecting native trees over exotic species in a landscape design?
We have to change our mindset. We have to see the beauty in our own plants, find the plant that will suit our purpose. Planting Terminalia mantaly as it does not take space and it remains green all the time, will not be the solution. We have to find place for Ashoka tree and give them due respect. We have to use them to save our environment. Natives are low maintenance, need almost no pesticides so provide healthy environs. They are hardy and suitable for given climatic conditions and provide food, shelter, protection from soil, water air erosion.
How do native trees support local wild life and insect population in urban environments?
The native plants grow well in particular places, lived for many years, and grown along with humans. They have the capability to sustain themselves and the wild life. All our plants have some problem or the other, but they regenerate after sometime. We have to keep a blind eye for some time to have the wild life survive. Arid zone plants have thorns ideal for making nests for the birds giving protection from snakes . These also provide loads of flowers rich in nectar and pollens thus able to sustain insect life subsequently the birds and their chicks. In some trees like Plumeria (an introduced tree) you will not find a single bee or bird.
Can you share some examples of successful landscape projects that prioritised the use of native trees?
We are doing Anath road renovation , 18 sector ,Gurugram where we are using native plants. I have given the list of native trees and plants for NIA – Noida international airport , Jewar. The streetscape should have flower or colourful foliage interest through out the year . Keeping this in mind various native trees and plant layers are given in Jewar , whether they will be planted actually cannot be guaranteed. The 18th sector is getting developed with native plants. We have also developed Bashapur forest corridor - Gurugram totally native.
What factors should a landscape architect consider when choosing native trees for specific areas?
He should consider climate, temperature, elevation factor, soil factor if it is clay or sandy or sandy loam etc, pH of the soil, if it is marshy land etc. , sunny or shaded area , based on that, it will be decided which plant will grow well.
How do native trees contribute to the resilience of landscapes in the face of climate change?
We have to learn, unlearn, and relearn things. So we have to learn about native plants before using them. Along the river Ganga and it’s tributaries we have done 90% of the plantation using native plant layers ( Namami Gange Project). From this, we learnt a lot, and we hope it reflects in our work in the near future.
How can community involvement be encouraged in planting and preserving native trees in urban areas?
Community is very important in preserving our tradition, culture, and trees. Right from Sundarlal Bahuguna ji’s Chipko movement to Narmada bachao abhiyaan it’s the people who have brought about the change. The CSR of different companies can add value to the venture. We take up works with companies where there is a CSR division.
What role does native trees play in promoting a sense of identity and cultural connection within the community?
Culture has a vital role in using native trees. Ayurveda is reviving the interest of people in native plants that have medicinal values. Since these plants earlier found growing wild in open fields and along waterways , are not available now, thus the cost of ayurvedic medicines have gone up. Culture is essential to save these plants and bring them back to our planet. Earlier Peepal , Bargad were not uprooted as they were considered sacred but today’s generation unaware about our culture , have no fear thus the large trees are getting removed without thought to the future. It is said that if you plant 5 trees – Peepal , Bargad , Pakad , Pilkhan , Gular – you get the punyas of having 1000 virtuous sons. Reason being these trees have large crowns , not much commercial value but immensely important for ants – birds – bat—mammals . With their large leafspans they give out more oxygen hence important for human population too.
The Bamboos , kadamb , harsingar , bakul , mango, tendu , kela etc. are part of our everyday life even now in rural areas . The human nature connect only can bring change in our mindsets and nature at large.