Gulmohar diaries: Notes on Kochi's 'flames of passion'

New Indian Express

20-05-2025

There wouldn't be many city residents who have not been paused a moment to marvel at the brilliant blooms of the gulmohar. Clusters of red and orange conceal the green canopy, as if the trees have caught fire — a striking contrast against the clear blue sky.
Strolling through Panampilly Nagar or Fort Kochi during summer, one is sure to sight the resplendent gulmohar — also named Mayflower tree — even from afar. Often mistaken for the 'Flame of the Forest' or palash (Butea monosperma), the gulmohar earns its title 'flame tree' for precisely this reason.
Interestingly, its primary Indian name evolved from an amalgamation of gul (flower) and mor (peacock). In simple terms, the peacock among trees, courtesy its flamboyance.
Known by several monikers, the gulmohar (Delonix regia) is most familiar to Malayalis as 'vaaga'. Another popular name, 'kaalvaari poo' or Calvary flower, is rooted in the belief that the tree was in full bloom on Mount Calvary at the time of Christ's crucifixion, its deep red blossoms said to be stained with his blood.
In West Bengal, the tree is known as Krishnachura (flower that adorns Lord Krishna's head). Its Indian cousin — the copper pod with its vivid yellow flowers — is called 'Radhachura'.
Though now a common sight across India, the gulmohar is not a native species. Introduced from Madagascar in the mid-19th century, the tree made its first Indian appearance in Mumbai.
According to historian M G Sasibhooshan, it was Travancore maharaja Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma who popularised gulmohars in Kerala. 'During one of his travels to Mysore, he was captivated by the city's verdant avenues and tree-lined roads. There, he met the Mysore maharaja's official botanist, Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel, the man behind the design of Lalbagh,' he says.
Impressed by Gustav's vision, the maharaja invited him to Thiruvananthapuram to create green stretches. 'Originally a forest tree, Gustav transformed vaaga into an avenue highlight,' Sasibhooshan adds.
E S Santhosh Kumar, technical officer at Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden & Research Institute, says many of these non-native trees adapt fast; 'they settle in, thrive, and sometimes even push out native species'. 'That's how they eventually became a part of Kerala's urban greenscape,' he adds.