Ready to grow roots: Saplings from 17 countries await G20 leaders

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

India has imported saplings from at least 17 countries, which are to be planted by visiting G20 leaders in the national capital on occasion of the summit this weekend.

Details:

The saplings of native plants have been imported from 10 G20 member countries and seven other countries.
These saplings have been imported over the past two months and have now been kept at a post-entry quarantine facility at ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Pusa, New Delhi.
Saplings identified and selected by: Ministry of Agriculture
It is suggested that the imported plant should have some religious, cultural or national significance in the source country.
Among the G20 member countries:
- Silver Tree (Neolitsea sericea) from South Korea;
- Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) from Saudi Arabia;
- Olive (Olea europaca) from Italy and Turkey;
- Real Yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius) from South Africa;
- Winterlinde (Tilia Cordata) from Germany;
- Cockspur Coral (Erythrina crysta-galli) from Argentina;
- Camphor Laurel (Cinnamomum camphora) from China and Japan; and
- Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) and Northern Black Wattle (Acacia auriculiformis) from Australia.

Among the invitee countries:
- Ghaf tree (Prosopis cineraria) from the UAE;
- Frankincense (Boswellia sacra) from Oman;
- Frangipani (Plumeria obtusa) from Mauritius;
- Mango tree (Mangifera indica) from Bangladesh;
- African Mahogany (Khaya senegalensis) from Nigeria;
- Doum/Date Palm (Hyphaene thebaica/ Phoenix dactylifera) from Egypt; and
- Olive tree from Spain.

For the remaining leaders, the plants have been sourced locally.
- Sycamore/Chinar (Platanus ori-entalis) plant has been sourced locally for the French President;
- Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii) for Russia’s representative;
- Queen’s Crepe-myrtle (Lagerstroemia speciosa) for the US President;
- Weeping Willow (Salix baby-lonica) for the UK Prime Minister;
- Arjun (Terminalia ar-juna) for Canada;
- Teak tree (Tectona Grandis) for Indonesia; and
- Fern tree (Jacaranda mi-mosifolia) for Brazil.
- Banyan tree saplings have been sourced locally for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
For the international organisations:
- Saplings of Peepal tree (Ficus religiosa) has been sourced locally for the United Nations and
- Parijat (Nyctanthes arbortristis) for the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Ghaf tree from UAE:

Ghaf was declared UAE’s national tree in 2008.
The Ghaf is a drought-tolerant tree, which can remain green even in harsh desert environments.
It is essential for the survival of animal and plant species alike.
Ghaf trees can live for up to 120 years on average.
A well-known example of the Ghaf is the 400-year-old ‘Tree of Life’ in Bahrain, which is still growing in the desert without any obvious sources of water.
It is learnt that six mango plants –Amrapali and Langra varieties – have also been imported from Bangladesh.