Trees of Cochin

Mapping a city's history through its trees

Mar 04, 2020

Cochin is famous for its spreading Rain Trees lining the roads of Fort Kochi. The rest of the city roads are equally adorned with lush green scenic canopies, and thick trunks.

Trees of Cochin tries to map this city through its trees & flowers — of our homes, on the streets, in the neighbours' garden, the sentinels at offices, sign posts at traffic signals, curtains on the median strip, eavesdroppers at the park, the boundary line in the cricket field, et al.
The long history of Cochin, and a long line of trees will ensure no dearth of stories. In these two years I've been clicking trees, I've come to realize there is at least one tree story in all of us.

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The posts will be related to nature in the city— observations, phenology, etymology, nostalgia, what I'd like to call Tree Reviews.

Details such as the hibiscus, ladies finger & portia tree are cousins belonging to the Mallow family. That the Malayalam language name of the Indian Almond Tree is derived from the act of repeatedly striking the fruit to open it—thalli maram/tree & thalli thenga/fruit comes from ‘തല്ല്/thallu’ meaning beating, thrashing, striking.

Did you know the coco in the coconut refers to three black spots on the shell forming a ghost face called coco in Spanish/Portuguese. All of a sudden, I can relate to that 2017 animation film better 😊🤣.

If you are interested in such details as I am, want to delve into the backstories of the city's avenues & boulevards, the trees of our childhood, and those we see around us, subscribe to Trees of Cochin. I am yet to finalize the frequency, etc. As of now, the posts will reach you based on my levels of excitement & engagement at my finds 😊.

I burst into a dance when a flower blooms in my garden, collect random fallen leaves from the footpath, stare without blinking at multicolour canopies from windows stopping my work. I'm excited.

Are you? Hop on to find out.

Trees of Cochin

Trees of Cochin