Mahadeshwara Swamy, scientist, and tree lover, remembers the luxuriant flowers and swaying branches of this tree, indigenous to Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, garden enthusiast Sarala Raman laments how difficult it is to source the kodi sampangi (jasmine telosma) and molaga chembarathi (a variety of hibiscus) plants from her childhood. P Hariesh, a Chennai-based landscape horticulturist, says, “When I started my career three decades ago, it was either hibiscus or ixora in home gardens. Local varieties like chembarathi or nandiavattai (crepe jasmine) that were tolerant to local pests are found unable to resist those like the mealy bug that come in with the exotics. In spite of thousands of research papers and theories, the sensitive greening of a city, might just depend on citizen action.

Source: The Hindu February 05, 2019 11:15 UTC