Page 11 - My FlipBook

Jamun
The jamun tree is tall and graceful, with a grey-brown bark and

deep green, long oval pointed leaves. The trees always have

dense foliage. They grow about 12 metres tall. Children love to
play beneath their deep shade. The bark is smooth but the wood

is weak so the trees are not very safe to climb.

From March to May, the tree is full of bunches of tiny creamy

flowers, which bees and other insects love for their nectar. We all
wait for the rains, when the jamun gives delicious, deep purple

fruit with a stone in the centre. The ripe fruit is sweet-sour and
good to eat. Ask any parrot or squirrel, or even fruit bats that

come to eat the juicy berries at night!

Jamun trees often grow wild in forests and according to Hindu

legend, Krishna loved to eat the fruit when he grazed his cows.

The dark purple colour of the fruit is supposed to be the same
colour as Krishna's complexion. Lord Ganesh is supposed to love

this fruit too. The tree is also sacred to Shiva and Vishnu.

11