Where have all the fruit trees gone?
Ilive in the same neighbourhood where I was born three score and ten years ago. My grandfather’s garden which was approximately three acres in extent was literally, a self-sown orchard. Hence it attracted many birds, butterflies, lizards, land and water monitors and other reptiles. It was not uncommon to see a Cobra ( naya) or a Russell’s viper ( thith polonga) whilst the common Rat snake ( garandiyaPtyas mucosa) was often seen sliding away whenever we children played cricket, hide and seek or climbed trees in our free time. Never were any of us bitten by these reptiles although we ventured carefree all over the garden.
My grandfather maintained a well-manicured oval shaped lawn in front of his house and hence the house was named Fairlawn.
Fruit trees were in abundance and we feasted on the fruits, sometimes up on the tree
itself. Mango ( Mangifera indica) Guava ( Psidium guava) the red white and yes, even the so called Chinese variety ( cheena per a-Psi di um cattle y an um ), Man go steen( Garciniamango st ana ), Vera lu
( Elaeocarpus serratus), Jambu ( Syzgium samarangense) and Pini Jambu, the white watery
fruit( Momordicacochin chin en sis ), Am bar ella
( Spondias dulcis), Custard apple ( Anodha reticulate) and Cherimoya ( Annona cherimola), Ugurassa ( Flacourtia indica) and Nam( Cynometra cauliflora ), Star Apple( ratalawulu-Chrysophyllum cainito), Lawalu ( Pouteria- campechiana)
Avocado ( Persea americana), Pomegranate( DelumPunic a gran a tum ), Cabaranka
( Star fruit- Averrhoa carambola), Lovi ( Flacourtia inermis), Dan ( Syzygium caryophyllatun) and Damson ( Prunus insititia).
There was also Mulberry ( Morus alba), Jam fruit ( Muntingia calabura), Lemon ( Citrus x limon), Passion fruit ( Pasiflora edulis), Papaw ( Carica papaya), Pineapple ( Anana scomosus), Jak ( Artocarpus heterophyllus) both waraka and wala, Del- Ceylon Breadfruit ( Artocarpus nobilis), Beli ( Aegle marmelos), Narang
( Citrus indica), Cashew ( Anacardium occidental), Biling ( Averrhoabilimbi), Coffee ( Coffea arabica) and Plantain ( Musa x paradisiac) as well as Cinnamon ( Cinnamomumverum). One cinnamon tree still stands in the middle of our byroad, honouring my late mother’s wishes.
There were many coconut trees ( Cocos nucifera) strewn all over the land including Ran Thambili, Gon Thambili, Thambili and Pol. Never did a coconut fall on anyone of us who were always playing outdoors. The finest coconut oil was distilled from the Ran Thambili trees. We had kithul trees ( Caryota urens) where sweet toddy was tapped.
I myself was surprised when I reread the long list which I had compiled from memory, so I asked my sister who lives next door to confirm it.
Alas, when I look around our neighbourhood now, up and over the numerous walls and the modern houses which have come up over the years, only a few fruit trees remain. One coconut tree, and a few recently planted hybrid mango trees. Of course, the Cinnamon tree stands tall in the middle of our byroad, reminding us of the way it used to be, and my mother’s wish of wisdom.
“All our wisdom is stored in the trees” - Santosh Kalwar.
“Whoever has learned how to listen to trees no longer wants to be a tree. He wants to be nothing except what he is. That is home. That is happiness” -Herman Hesse.
Dushy Perera Nugegoda