How did you get started writing a book on Delhi's trees?
I was introduced to trees by a forester friend who used to take me for nature walks in the jungles of Panchmarhi in Madhya Pradesh. Gradually, I learnt to read scientific floras and decode the esoteric vocabulary that botanists use. As I became more familiar with forest tees, I told myself way back in 1998 that it would be wonderful to do a book on the trees of the city where I lived.
I was introduced to trees by a forester friend who used to take me for nature walks in the jungles of Panchmarhi in Madhya Pradesh. Gradually, I learnt to read scientific floras and decode the esoteric vocabulary that botanists use. As I became more familiar with forest tees, I told myself way back in 1998 that it would be wonderful to do a book on the trees of the city where I lived.
Was it hard to identify Delhi's trees?
The difficulty was posed, mostly, by certain kinds of exotic trees. I came across some strange trees that no one in the Sundar Nursery seemed to know about. They must have been planted it during the 1940s or 50s by someone — Percy Lancaster perhaps — probably as an experiment.
Those that did well got “promoted” to becoming street or park trees. Those that “failed” in some significant way were consigned to the rubbish bin since no one took any more notice of them. Now the problem about an exotic tree is where does one begin to look it up; which flora does one consult? Australia's or South Africa's?
(From an interview with Rashme Sehgal.)
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