Flame of the Forest that quenched by Parasites

There was a Gulmohar tree at our building’s backyard. It looked different and abnormal from normal Gulmohar trees, lean and tall. Normally, Gulmohar trees have thick heavy stems and branches spread toward all sides making a canopy. But this one had branches growing upward. I thought it was a male because of its lean and tall stem. But it showed me soon it was 100% a female by flowering and bearing fruits. It was destined to born like that or Nature had made a mistake while creating it. Male characteristics in females are seen in human beings too. There are women with gait of male and bony structure. Male hormone must be more in them than female hormone.

When it was in the bloom of youth suddenly it lost all leaves. Blooming stopped and its gloomy days started. The ailing tree stood there for months with its branches stretched out towards the sky as if it was calling out Almighty. There was no sign of life. Its prayers must have heard. Surprisingly, leaves started sprouting and it flowered in the next season. But flowers and leaves did not look healthy or normal. Again it started shedding leaves. It became a skeleton. The tree looked like a cancer patient who recovered after chemotherapy. Though it was diseased it survived for a few more years. Alas, one day it uprooted and collapsed at midnight on the nearby dilapidated cottage with a loud thud. The condition of the tree and cottage was the same.

Only I was there to witness its death while others were sleeping. It must be because I was concerned. Nobody noticed its condition; even the member who had planted the tree carefully didn’t care about it. No one has time for such silly things or they may not be Nature lovers like me. I would look at it helplessly from the window and I was predicting its bleak future. I noticed a parasitic growth at the base of the tree. Mush room like parasites started growing rapidly in a pile around it. It must have eaten into the roots and caused the tree fall. However, death occurred when it came under Saturn’s transit.

Plants and trees also have influence of the Heavenly Bodies. Since Gulmohar trees bloom in April they are associated to Zodiac, Aries. The bright red flowers look like burning charcoal amidst greenery if viewed from afar and its compound leaves waving about in the wind is a lovely sight. It has many nicknames in Indian and foreign languages. It is popularly known as Flame of the Forest. There is another one (Gulmohar), huge and sturdy remains for years but getting old with me. It blooms every year but flowers become scanty year by year.

Not only human beings, but trees, plants, animals and birds are suffering from dreadful diseases like cancer. Such diseases only of big animals and big trees are visible to us. Diseases of small animals and small plants go unnoticed. Trees and plants also have brains, the roots. They serve humans and other creatures selflessly and suffer their torture silently. Has Nature created trees and plants with beautiful flowers for the fancy of humans or birds?