Butterfly Park Pune (Published Article)

The monsoon is such a beautiful time of the year, when verdure covers every tiny inch of ground. We are greeted with the sight of green grass everywhere often freshly washed with rain, many times with some drops still nestling on the blades. Wildflowers bloom in abundance and there are butterflies everywhere. Nowhere though, is such a plethora of butterflies to be found in Pune, as in the Butterfly Park in Aranyeshwar. This exquisite garden is a retreat that has been designed aesthetically, keeping both beauty and serenity in mind. Close to Aranyeshwar Mandir, as well as the beautiful Vasantrao Eknath Bagul Nullah Park, this garden covers about an acre of ground and has two netted enclosures. A curving red earth path adds a touch of contrast to the verdant flora. The park is bordered on the right by tall silver oak trees, while a large shady neem stands at its centre. Among the many scattered benches one in particular, waits invitingly under the neem, before which grows an absolute floral feast. Sitting on this bench one can enjoy the magnificent hues of a variety of flowers rich in nectar, while watching the butterflies fly among them. In the trees above, the birds sing and call, and the very air breathes of tranquility.

The park contains a diversity of plants which are used for both nectar and feeding. Its two enclosures contain a veritable tropical jungle, meandering paths and even a small wooden bridge. Bright red flowers like the bird of paradise peep through the lush foliage of a wide assortment of plants. Butterflies flutter and flit everywhere, settling for split seconds on some flower only to fly off again. Many of the flowers favoured by butterflies like the attractive pink cosmos, the purple verbena, different coloured zinnias, ixora, (Flame of the woods, Jungle geranium), bright gold marigolds, pentas (Egyptian star cluster), asclepias(milk weeds), porterweed, multi coloured lantana etc, bloom here in vivid profusion. Porterweed has several small, blue flowers borne on green, quill-like spikes. The flowers last for just one day.

Despite the wide variety of flora the butterflies sometimes seem more partial to the lantana in all its glorious hues, over the other flowers. The lantana flowers range from deep red and yellow to the prettiest pale pastel shades. The pastel ones are larger than the normal lantana we often find, growing as wild hedges on the roadsides. There is a large assortment of feeding plants found here too, like the ashok, nerium (oleander), the sweetly fragrant michelia champaka, calotropis (rui), bryophyllum, passion flower, white and red hibiscus (shoe flower), butterfly weed etc.

A duranta plant also blooms here with its tiny blue flowers. Duranta is popularly called honey drops or golden dewdrop because of its golden yellow berries hanging in thick clusters. Though very attractive to butterflies, like some other plants, parts of the duranta are toxic as are those of nerium and lantana, and it is better to keep children away from them.

There are ambitious plans for the park, it is scheduled to have 500 to 700 varieties of butterflies, but right now there are only a few varieties like the Common Crow which is easy to identify with its black colour, marked with white. It usually glides around in leisurely flight. The swift flying, Tailed Jay, with apple green marks on a black background, barely ever stays still and is another butterfly that is present in large numbers. The yellow, orange, black and white Striped Tiger is another beautiful butterfly. Common Jezebels with their yellow and orange backs with prominent black veins, flit swiftly among the flowers, barely stopping, as do the busy Common Jays with their pretty blue marks on black. Another is the light yellow Lemon Emigrant or Common Emigrant, so called because it flies fast, covering long distances, in straight, powerful flight. Some other butterflies also found here are the Common Mormon, the Common Rose, Common Castor, Lime Butterfly, Lemon Pansy, Tawny Coster, etc. Strategically placed boards provide information that help visitors learn easily.

Though the monsoons are a good time to see butterflies, they rest when it is actually raining and then it is rare to see one in flight. The rains make the red earth path in the garden quite slippery, though; they bring their own beauty, as the trees wear a bright, glossy, washed look. Crystal droplets drip off the leaves and flowers or delicately hang from them. As the drops of water fall on the undergrowth, the grasses and leaves move suddenly, giving the appearance of flitting butterflies. The luxuriant plant life in the enclosures, during the rain, gives one a feeling of being in the thick undergrowth of some dense rainforest.

Flowering Trees of Pune (A published article)

The roads of Pune are lined with many kinds of flowering trees, which also beautify numerous gardens.Different trees flower at different times, and so through much of the year enchant us with their vivid blossoms. Quite a few of the trees are not native but have been brought in from different parts of the world, many during British rule. Some may have been planted later for their ornamental nature. Though a tree may have originated in one continent, it is often hard to tell where it came from just before it reached Indian shores. Many trees and plants adorn lands other than their native ones and are now found in different and strange parts of the world. One of these is the ubiquitous Bougainvillea.

Discovered in Brazil in 1768, by an admiral in the French Navy, Louis Antoine de Bougainville, the plant has been propagated through the tropical and subtropical regions, and can be found in many places with a warm climate. Its popularity is well deserved, for this spectacular plant adds both colour and beauty to any garden or landscape. In Pune it is found almost everywhere, brightening the roads and gardens with its myriad vivid hues.

Another frequently found flowering tree is the Frangipani or Plumeria. Commonly known as Champa here, its pink and yellow or white and yellow blooms, which grow close together, hold a sweet intoxicating fragrance. Treasured by the Polynesian Islanders for their durability, fragrances and colors, these flowers are also used by the Hawaiians for making their famous Leis

In winter we are often delighted by the sight of the pretty pink Gliricidia blooms. Often used as a live fencing, this is a native of Central America has many names there. Madre Cacao, Cacao de nance, Madriado, or even Madre are some of the names it is known by. The flowers are clustered at the tips of branches or borne along the stems on older wood. Gliricidia beautify many a hill and roadside here in Pune.

More uncommon, but beautiful in their pink red profusion, are the flowers of the Cassia marginata, popularly called red shower tree, red or rose cassia or even rainbow tree. Another rather rare but extremely beautiful tree is the Petrea Volubilis. Its delicately fashioned blooms in shades of violet and lavender, are quite different from many others. Another native of Central America, its more common names are, Queen's wreath, Purple wreath, Bluebird vine and Sandpaper vine (from its sandpaper textured leaves).

Along some streets the yellow trumpet like flowers of the Tabebuia argentea (also known as Tabebuia caraiba ), bloom in thick clusters. This herald of spring, commonly called the Silver trumpet tree, is certainly a breathtaking sight to behold, when in full bloom.

Another beautiful spring bloom is the Jacaranda. On some trees though, a few flowers are found almost year round. The Jacaranda has been planted profusely in the streets of Harare, Zimbabwe. During spring in the Southern hemisphere, the sight of the purple Jacarandas lining the roads in endless queues, seen from a height, is incredible. In Pune though, the trees are not planted so close together and one may be lucky to see two or three trees together once in a while. The thickly growing flowers are a beautiful sight indeed.

Now spring has turned to summer and the mercury is climbing ceaselessly. While we may groan under the relentless heat, summer brings its own pleasures. From mid March the male cuckoo has begun cooing its sweet mating call. Bare trees have been covered with shiny new leaves and pretty blossoms. On many roads pinkish powder puffs or fairy dusters, beam from their glossy, verdant canopies. The glorious ‘Sun mohur’ trees transform the landscape with their bright and cheery blossoms. They are aptly named ‘Roadside flowers’ as they cover the pavements with soft yellow carpets.

As April advances the best has begun to appear, for no tree can compare with the stunning grandeur of the Delonix Regia. The flamboyant Gulmohur, resplendent with its fiery blooms, is the most stunning of flowering trees. These will continue to adorn the streets till the monsoon