Botanical Garden Archives - Lautoka City Council

A Symbol of Civic Pride: Simla Resident Donates Teak Tree to Lautoka City Council’s Botanical Garden

admin — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 03:33:06 +0000

Mr. Henry Seeto of Simla visited Lautoka City Council’s Botanical Garden to hand over the Teak tree plant.

It was very generous of Mr. Seeto who had the plant in pot since 2012 and decided that the teak be planted in the Garden.

Mr. Seeto has been a senior citizen of Lautoka City and has spent more than 30 years in Simla. He appreciated the work carried by the Council in keeping the city clean and green.

In appreciation, Acting Head of Services-Rouhit Karan Singh thanked Mr. Seeto in coming up and joining council in maintaining lush environment. It’s a great display of civic pride.

Teak is a tropical hardwood tree and is known for its incredible durability and water resistance. It is commonly used for making boat building, exterior furniture, carvings etc.

The post A Symbol of Civic Pride: Simla Resident Donates Teak Tree to Lautoka City Council’s Botanical Garden appeared first on Lautoka City Council.

Manilkara Zapota- Sapodilla

admin — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 00:47:46 +0000

Manilkara Zapota plant in Lautoka City’s Botanical Garden is commonly known as sapodilla (chikku in Hindi) is an evergreen tree native to southern Mexico. It belongs to the family Sapotaceae and kingdom to plantae. The fruit has an exceptionally sweet, malty flavor. The tree can survive only in warm, typically tropical environment.

The Sapodilla tree, known for its remarkable longevity, can thrive for up to one hundred years. Reaching heights of over 30 meters (98 feet) with a trunk diameter of 1.5 meters (5 feet), this majestic tree is a testament to nature’s grandeur. In cultivated settings, the average height ranges from 9 to 15 meters (30 to 49 feet), with a trunk diameter not exceeding 50 centimeters (20 inches).

Durable and Resilient: The Sapodilla tree exhibits remarkable wind resistance, and its bark is a source of a white, gummy latex known as chicle. The ornamental leaves, glossy and medium green, are elliptic to ovate, measuring 7–15 centimeters (3–6 inches) in length, with an entire margin.

Inconspicuous Beauty: The tree’s white, bell-like flowers with a six-lobed corolla are inconspicuous yet add to its understated beauty. An unripe fruit, with a firm outer skin, releases white chicle when picked. In contrast, a fully ripened fruit has saggy skin and retains the chicle.

Large, Delectable Fruit: The Sapodilla’s fruit is a sizable berry, ranging from 4 to 8 centimeters (2–3 inches) in diameter. Inside, its flesh exhibits hues from pale yellow to earthy brown, with a grainy texture reminiscent of a well-ripened pear. Each fruit houses one to six glossy, black seeds resembling beans.

Exquisite Flavor and Characteristics: Known for its exceptionally sweet, malty flavor, the unripe fruit is firm and contains saponin, exhibiting astringent properties akin to tannin. This characteristic can induce dryness in the mouth.

Survivor of Warm Tropical Climes: The Sapodilla tree thrives in warm, tropical environments, displaying low tolerance to drought and heat during its early years. However, it succumbs easily if temperatures drop below freezing. Typically taking five to eight years to bear fruit from germination, these trees yield twice a year, with continuous flowering throughout the year.

The Sapodilla tree is a true marvel, showcasing nature’s resilience and providing a bounty of delectable, sweet fruits.

The post Manilkara Zapota- Sapodilla appeared first on Lautoka City Council.

Council Workers Plant New Tree Species to Mark World Environment Day

admin — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 04:03:02 +0000

The Lautoka City Council (LCC) workers planted two new species at its Botanical Gardens on June 3^rd to mark World Environment Day.

The new species are the Black Pearl tree (Harpullia Zanquebarica) and Autograph tree (Clusia Rosea).

The Black Pearl tree (Harpullia Zanquebarica) species only grows up to five meters tall and is native to South Africa. Its seeds are velvety blue-black.

Autograph tree (Clusia Rosea) species as a decorative house plant with paddle-like leaves that are noted for air filtering properties.

The LCC chief executive officer, Mohammed Anees Khan said, both plant species were known to absorb carbon dioxide at night.

He said this assisted the governments aim of planting million trees within the next 15 years to reduce carbon emissions.

“The selected species have been carefully chosen for the collection at the Botanical Garden to further enhance the greenery within the city boundary and help protect and restore our planet earth”, he said.

The post Council Workers Plant New Tree Species to Mark World Environment Day appeared first on Lautoka City Council.