A sapling story

10 Akashmoni This particular tree is so plain looking that you are bound to pass it by a dozen times a day without ever noticing it. But this short, stout tree with a dark, grey bark and white flowers dot the national landscape like no other. Not particularly aesthetic or useful, it adapts easily in all climates.   9 Jackfruit Jackfruits are our national fruits, and the trees are very popular to both urban and rural residents. They are easy to grow, but need a lot of space. Bangla summers are never complete without climbing a jackfruit tree at least once!    8 Bougainvillea Struck by its beautiful flowers, Tagore named the tree ‘Bagan Bilash’ The flowers have a magenta/violet hue to them, and have a strong lavender smell that is also used in perfumes. They are planted mostly for beautification and are seen in the street dividers along Dhaka highways.    7 Palm Just like coconut trees, the palm tree is synonymous with Bangla poetry, music and a fast-disappearing rustic life. The fruits, palms, are similar to coconuts, and are useful for a variety of purposes including hair oil, medicine, and even energy.    6 Mango The mango might as well replace the jackfruit as our national fruit, but the mango tree isn’t very far down the popularity list either. Mango trees, if cultivated properly, can grow upto 150 feet tall, and aside from the luscious fruits that they produce, the wood from the trees are sturdy and great at making furniture.    5 Shimul The Shimul is a cotton tree, very tall, and provides a large shade area.  In spring time, its big, red flowers bloom and dry up, burst, and have white cotton coming out of them, which comes very handy for weavers.   4 Coconut You can’t imagina the Bangla countryside without thinking of a coconut tree. They are branchless and can grow upto 30 feet high. Bangla folklore is enamoured with coconut trees, and you can often hear of them in our fairytales, folk songs and even in lullabies for kids.     3 Radhachura Radhachuras are very similar to their cousins Krishnachuras, except they are greener, and their flowers have a more yellow tinge tha the strong orange Krishnachura flowers. Radhachuras usually grace the most important roads of a city, due to their stately appearance.     2 Neem The Neem tree is famous in Bangladesh for its medicinal qualities: its crushed leaves are used in toothpaste, soap, skin cream, and even in aftershave balms. This evergreen tree with spreading branches has a round shape, and a fairly dense crown.  Neem is a cornerstone of the ancient Ayurvedic healthcare system and is one of the most widely used medicinal herbs in the world. Almost every part of the tree has different and efficient medicinal value.   1 Krishnachura An emotive and nostalgic tree, loved by most, a muse to all. In summers and monsoon time, when in full bloom with gorgeous red flowers, the Krishnachura is ever present in Bangla poetry, songs, and even movies. You can easily spot a Krishnachura in the Botanical Garden in Mirpur, but they are also found in great numbers across all the major parks across Dhaka.