Pink splash: Bengaluru techies create map to track flowering tabebuia rosea trees

The maps were developed with information from the BBMP tree census.

As the pink tabebuia season reaches its peak, two Bengaluru techies are using their expertise to create maps tracking areas where the flowers are in bloom. 

Initially, Faris Mohammed, a 34-year-old product designer, created an interactive map with data he already had on hand. “The map highlighted areas that are already known for the seasonal blooms — such as AECS Layout, Cubbon Park and the K R Puram area,” he shares.

However, after learning about the BBMP tree census data available on opencity.in, he was able to superimpose the new information onto the map, which can be found on blrbloom.com. “The older version of the map had about 60-65 spots. Now, it is quite comprehensive and offers a clearer picture of just how many of these flowering trees are present across the length and breadth of Bengaluru,” he explains, adding that there are about 21,000 to 27,000 of these trees in the city. 

Inspired by sakura

The ‘stages’ filter on the mini app allows one to see the trees that are in various stages of bloom, from budding and partial bloom to peak bloom, full glory and fading. However, this feature is yet to become functional. “I just wanted to showcase what is possible, and in future, with crowdsourced data, it can become a reality,” says Mohammed, who was inspired by the cherry blossom tracking apps in Japan. 

The app also offers other features like top spots — Lalbagh west gate entrance, IISc campus main avenue and Jayanagar 4th block, 30th cross, for instance. Under the ‘Gallery’ tab, one can glance through images of the trees with captions specifying their location. Some of the photographs are crowdsourced, while others are by Mohammed.

One can look for the nearest flowering tree through the ‘Bloom near me’ feature, and even add a new spot by clicking ‘Spot a bloom’.

Going viral

For 25-year-old Malavika S Menon, it was a fascination for these soft pink flowers that prompted her to map them. “I had quite a few images of these trees on my phone,” shares Malavika, who moved to Bengaluru four years ago. The software engineer, who lives in HSR Layout and works at a tech park in Kadubeesanahalli, notes that there were quite a few trees in both areas. “I wondered which other, less-known areas one may find these trees in. I started researching it and found the BBMP tree census data,” she reveals. 

Malavika took a few hours to complete the non-interactive map, which she later posted on X.

“I used the QGIS software to develop it. That was the most challenging part because it was relatively new to me. I did it for fun and out of curiosity, but did not expect it to get the traction it has,” says Malavika. The free, open-source software is specifically designed for geospatial data. The tweet, posted on February 23, currently has 2.6k likes and over 300 retweets.

Commissioner says

“It has been on my mind for some time to develop the tree flowering season into a tourist attraction. And we plan to do so in a systematic manner and focus on all the flowering trees in Bengaluru, which bloom at different points in the year. Apart from the tabebuia, we plan to also focus on blue jacaranda, gulmohar, flame of the forest and amaltas,” says Maheshwar Rao, commissioner, Greater Bengaluru Authority. The idea was initially suggested by Subhash Kuntia, the former chief secretary of Karnataka, he adds.