<p>There is no space left in Cubbon Park – a prime lung space in the city centre – to plant another sapling. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The park is spread across 197 acres and has 7,900 trees, shrubs and plants. Horticulture department officials say that there is no space left at all in the park. Prime buildings and roads which cut through the park occupy a good chunk of the park. <br /><br />Mahantesh Murgod, deputy director of Cubbon Park, told DH that the department wanted to introduce some new tree species in the park and it took them around two months to identify a suitable place. The saplings planted are doing fine, but no new ones can be planted, he said.<br /><br />With the help of experts, the Horticulture department recently planted 250 saplings of Pride of India (Lagerstroemia flos- reginae), Golden Cypress (Xanthocyparis), Orchid (Bauhinia variegata), Rio Grandra Trumpet Flower (Bibnonia megapotamica), Golden Shower (Cassia fistula), Apple Blossom (Cassia javanica) and Red Shower (Cassia marginata). These new species were introduced to increase the variety of trees in the park and ensure that there are trees blooming round the year, Murgod said. <br />The park has trees which are as old as 440 years old like Silver Oak, near the department office and one-year-old saplings near the Band Stand. All the trees and plants in Cubbon Park have been numbered and documented. <br /><br />Murgod said that ideally for any healthy tree to grow at least five square feet of space is needed. The space required depends on the species planted. If any new species has to be planted, old and dead trees will have to be uprooted, which is an environmental hazard. Some vacant space also needs to be left in the park for people to walk around and play, he added. <br /> </p>
<p>There is no space left in Cubbon Park – a prime lung space in the city centre – to plant another sapling. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The park is spread across 197 acres and has 7,900 trees, shrubs and plants. Horticulture department officials say that there is no space left at all in the park. Prime buildings and roads which cut through the park occupy a good chunk of the park. <br /><br />Mahantesh Murgod, deputy director of Cubbon Park, told DH that the department wanted to introduce some new tree species in the park and it took them around two months to identify a suitable place. The saplings planted are doing fine, but no new ones can be planted, he said.<br /><br />With the help of experts, the Horticulture department recently planted 250 saplings of Pride of India (Lagerstroemia flos- reginae), Golden Cypress (Xanthocyparis), Orchid (Bauhinia variegata), Rio Grandra Trumpet Flower (Bibnonia megapotamica), Golden Shower (Cassia fistula), Apple Blossom (Cassia javanica) and Red Shower (Cassia marginata). These new species were introduced to increase the variety of trees in the park and ensure that there are trees blooming round the year, Murgod said. <br />The park has trees which are as old as 440 years old like Silver Oak, near the department office and one-year-old saplings near the Band Stand. All the trees and plants in Cubbon Park have been numbered and documented. <br /><br />Murgod said that ideally for any healthy tree to grow at least five square feet of space is needed. The space required depends on the species planted. If any new species has to be planted, old and dead trees will have to be uprooted, which is an environmental hazard. Some vacant space also needs to be left in the park for people to walk around and play, he added. <br /> </p>