Plants of Ams Garden: A Garden in the Arabian Deserts of Dubai

By Dr. John Anurag Panga

This book surprises the plant growers around the world with a wide range of trees and plants that could be grown in a desert, transforming the landscape of the region.

This attempt is an endeavour to elaborate the great environmental transformation of the Agro-climatic zone of UAE, in terms of its adaptability to various positive changes thus bringing diversity in the plant communities of the region.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Aug 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499017007

Dr. John Anurag Panga

Dr. John Anurag Panga With a wide professional involvement of more than seven years in the fields of agricultural extension, research and teaching of agronomy, genetics and plant breeding, Dr. John Anurag Panga holds PhD in seed science and technology from Allahabad Agricultural Institute, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh; and MS in agronomy from G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. During his master’s research, he worked as Research Assistant in All India Coordinated Research Project on Cropping Systems at GBPUA&T, Pantnagar, and was involved as a project trainee in National Horticulture Mission in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. During his tenure as Assistant Professor, Seed Science & Technology, at SHIATS Deemed University, Allahabad, he handled various National and International Research Projects funded by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Uttar Pradesh Council of Agricultural Research (UPCAR) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines; handling crops like Rice, Maize, Soybean and Sorghum. He was also the resource person for National Horticulture Mission for Farmers Training Programme dealing in sustainable production of flowers, fruits, vegetables and fodder crops. He has participated in various national and international seminars / symposia / training programmes / workshops across India and has a number of research publications to his credit. Currently he renders his services to His Excellency Mr. Abdulla Mohammed Saleh by managing his farming properties in Dubai, handling various aspects in Dry Land Agriculture, including vegetable production, fruit production, greenhouse technology, irrigation systems, animal husbandry and wild life conservation.

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Copyright © 2014 by Dr. John Anurag Panga. 656995

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014914970

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-4990-1685-7

                Hardcover     978-1-4990-1688-8

                EBook           978-1-4990-1700-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including

photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval

system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 08/21/2014

Xlibris LLC

1-800-455-039

www.xlibris.com.au

Front cover, clockwise from top left: Bauhinia blakeana,

Tristellateia australasiae, Quisqualis Indica, Cyperus

alternifolius, Carissa macrocarpa, Miligtonia, Cordia

sebestena,Tecomella undulata.

Center: Cassia fistula

Back cover, clockwise from top left: Acalypha hispida, Jatropha

integerrima, Thevetia peruviana, Adenium, Cordia dichotoma,

Manilkara zapota, Phoenix dactylifera, Citrus aurantifolia

Design & Layout by Premasis Satman

Creative Support by Emergent Dreamwork Consultants India

Venture Supported by Capstone Charitable and Missions Trust India

Contents

Introduction

AMS Garden is owned by His Excellency Mr. Abdulla Mohammed Saleh who has worked closely with the founding fathers of this proud nation. The farm land was acquired twenty eight years back (1986) and since then the development of the beautiful garden has been a never ending story. Various dimensions of agriculture and technology were added over a period of time to significantly improve the flora and fauna of the landscape.

The success story of converting the UAE deserts into green landscapes is rather inspirational! Even though there are other Emirates which boast to have cultivation of a large number of trees and fruits, without a vision for agricultural revolution and the utilization of contemporary technology the face of this land would not have changed as it has today.

Climate

Dubai has a tropical desert climate because of its location within the Northern desert belt. Summers are extremely hot, humid and very dry, with an average high around 40 °C (104 °F) yet usually higher than 40, and overnight lows around 30 °C (86 °F). The highest recorded temperature in Dubai is 48.5 °C (119 °F) on 27 July 2012. Most days are sunny throughout the year. There is a little more care and management requires maintaining gardens in such stressful days. Winters are warm and short with an average high of 23 °C (73 °F) and overnight lows of 14 °C (57 °F). Most of the subtropical and some tropical vegetables can be grown in this season. Precipitation, however, has been increasing in the last few decades with accumulated rain reaching 150 mm (5.91 in) per year. The weather in Dubai can bring short and irregular rainfall as is typical for the Middle East. Most of the rainfall occurs in the December to March period.

Soil and Nutrient Management

The sandy soil has been converted to sandy – loam over the years by the addition of biomass. In spite of this, the soil is generally found deficient in some micronutrients, particularly iron. Iron chelates and other micronutrients are added in order to overcome this deficiency. Every year during winters indigenous compost and well rotten farm yard manure is also added to the soil in order to improve its texture and fertility.

Irrigation

The garden has mainly two sources of irrigation:

1.  Sweet water supplied by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. This is used to grow fruits, vegetables and sensitive plants.

2.  Effluent water supplied by the Dubai Municipality. This recycled sewage water is supplied specially to the gardens of the region for irrigation purpose. This has significantly minimized the use of manure and inorganic fertilizers in the landscapes. In earlier days, prior to 2005, when this supply system was not there, the garden depended on its own bore wells, most of which are non functional now.

Salinity

If the irrigation water is saline, as in the case of bore well water, the sun’s intensity during summers prevents the moisture to reach to the root zone of the plants. This results in the collection of salt crystals in the top soil, which leads to the cracking the soil surface and prevents the moisture to reach the root zone all the more. However, there are plants which exhibit moderate to high tolerance towards salinity. Therefore care should be taken while selecting the plants at the planning stage itself, and only those cultivars that have demonstrated a tendency to survive in this hostile climate need to be selected. As the irrigation water is pre treated for salts and other toxins, thus the availability of safe irrigation water should always be a priority.

Farm Management

The garden is maintained by around twenty five workers comprising of gardeners and technical persons. Inter cultural operations are done regularly throughout the year. Weeding is done manually and in summers, especially care is taken in terms of irrigation and stress management. The aim is to maintain the garden as organic as possible. Readers will have a fair idea of the other management aspects as they go through the pictorial journey through the book. Since the growing season in the region is long, some tree or the other is always on flower. Therefore, a garden should always be planned accordingly to prevent monotony. Native plants are host to various species of birds, insects, honey bees and animals which contribute significantly to the ecosystem.

This book is written in order to inspire and guide plant lovers to identify, choose and plan to cultivate relevant trees based per need. Gardens can be planned on the basis of season of flowering, tree size, colour scheme and as per personal interest. AMS garden in particular, has been developed over the years with personal interest and a large collection of plants by Mr. A. M. Saleh. The trees and plants mentioned in this book are native as well as acclimatized to this arid environment. Interestingly there are many trees which are originally from an entirely different agroclimate but are performing well in this climate with a little more care and alteration in management practices. The illustrated book comprises various garden plants and their forms. All of them are not of course commercially cultivated therefore the propagation may be wild in nature or standardized. The number of available plants in the garden is continuously expanding; therefore it is hard to keep pace with every new introduction. Also, there are many other plants which may be popularly grown in urban landscapes that are not included in this book. This is because the pictorial reference would not have been possible as they are not grown in AMS garden. Instead, the book aims to bring together the collection of tried and tested plants and special specimen for this environment over a long period of time. There are many more plant species like herbs, annuals, fodder crops, Agro- forestry models, aquatic plants, cacti and succulents, vegetables and those which are cultivated in conservatory, are not included in the current volume.

The authors have tried to focus the important aspects of each plant whichare not the same for all. Hence there is a moderate deviation in the draft pattern of the text. For example, fruits, being of commercial importance, attempts have been made to elaborate on the cultivation aspects including major insect pests, diseases, physiological disorders and their management. This may not be the same for the other sections of the book. The Authors expect that this book will encourage growers all across the world to introduce and test a wide range of plants in their respective agro climatic zones to bring more variety, diversity and state-of-the-art technology in the art of gardening.

Happy Gardening!!

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Cassia fistula

Golden Shower Tree / Amaltas

Cassia fistula is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, native to southern Asia. It is the national tree of Thailand, and its flower is Thailand’s national flower symbolizing Thai royalty. It is also state flower of Kerala in India where the flowers are of ritual importance in the Vishu festival. This tree was depicted on a 20 Indian rupees postage stamp.

It is a medium-sized, fast growing tree, growing to 10–20 m tall. The leaves are deciduous, pinnate with 3–8 pairs of leaflets. The flowers are produced in pendulous racemes 20–40 cm long, each flower is 4–7 cm in diameter with five yellow petals of equal size and shape. The fruit is a legume, 30–60 cm long and 1.5–2.5 cm broad, with a pungent odor and containing several seeds. The tree has strong and very durable wood. Ecologically, Cassia tolerates a wide range of climates and temperatures, though it tends towards loving warmth.

It can be propagated by seeds after scarification treatment and soaking seeds in water for 24 hours before sowing.

Cultivation

Cassia fistula is widely grown as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical areas. It blooms in late spring. Flowering is profuse, with trees being covered with yellow flowers, many times with almost no leaf being seen. It grows well in dry climates. Growth for this tree is best in full sun on well-drained soils with rich in humus; it is relatively drought tolerant and slightly salt tolerant. It tolerates light brief frost, but can get damaged if frost persists. It is fairly susceptible to mildew and leaf spot. The tree blooms better in the regions with pronounced difference between summer and winter temperatures.

Uses

Amaltas has a great importance in Ayurvedic medicine system in which it is used as purgative and for the treatment of numerous ailments. There also exists some culinary use for cassia. It is a popular ornamental tree which is used in public parking areas and in parks.

Caution: The seeds are poisonous!

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Cassia javanica

Pink Shower Tree/ Java Cassia / Apple Blossom

Cassia javanica has its origin in Southeast Asia, but it has been extensively grown in tropical areas worldwide as a garden tree owing to its beautiful crimson and pink flower bunches. It is a small to medium-sized tree up to 15 m tall, deciduous or semi-deciduous, trunk of young trees are either smooth or armed. During the dry season, Cassia javanica becomes adorn in pink, creating one of the most spectacular effects in the plant world. They flow gracefully downward to sweep the ground and to cloak the spectator. It develops a broad, flat-topped, arching crown; which is perfect for shade, but is not too dense so as to exclude a well-kept lawn. Drooping stems, some more than 20 feet long, are covered by masses of large pink flowers. Leaves are with 5-15 pairs of leaflets, petiole 1.5-4 cm long, leaflets elliptical-ovate to oblong, base broadly rounded, and apex acute or rounded to obtuse. Inflorescence is a raceme or panicle, terminal on leafy shoots or lateral on short side branches, up to 16 cm long; many-flowered; flowers with sepals 4-10 mm long, green to dark red, petals 15-35 mm long, whitish to reddish or buff. Seeds are numerous, embedded in a flat disk.

Cassia javanica can be propagated by seed. The germination rate is about 70%; 50% of the seed sown yields good plants. Mechanical scarification may be used to overcome seed dormancy.

Cultivation

Cassia javanica has been planted for so long that the natural area of distribution is difficult to reconstruct. It is also planted as an ornamental in Central and South America. It is also widespread in the Malaysian area, wild and cultivated. It is widely cultivated all over tropical Asia. The various subspecies are geographically confined to parts of the Malaysian area, though sometimes cultivated outside their original area of distribution.

This tree flowers from April to September. It is usually found in more open sites in the forest, but can also occur in closed evergreen primary forest and deciduous monsoon forest. It has wide ecological amplitude and is generally found at lower elevations. It is often naturalized in secondary forest close to locations where it has been planted. It can be grown in volcanic loams, marshy, sandy and limestone soils.

It does have some distinct negatives, including brittle branches, so it is not tolerant of strong winds. It also requires full sun for its powerful flower display, and sufficient room to develop its broad canopy. Some leaf loss usually occurs before, during, or after flowering but is not long lasting. It responds well to pruning which, when necessary, is best done after flowering. Long cylindrical pods form during flowering. They change color from green to black and hang on the tree for many months, though not in large numbers.

Uses

1.  Ornamental: Cassia javanica is an interesting multipurpose tree for South-East Asian farmers, and have a high ornamental value. It is also extensively used as an ornamental and roadside tree.

2.  Timber: The wood is used for general construction, furniture and cabinet making.

3.  Medicine: The ripe pods and seeds are used as a traditional laxative throughout the Malaysian area. In Thailand, bark and seeds are also used as antipyretics.

4.  Tannin or dyes: The bark has been used for tanning leather, but the amount of tannin is comparatively low.

5.  Its flower is the provincial flower of Chainat Province, Thailand.

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Cassia marginata

Red Shower tree / Cassia Rose Tree

This Cassia is smaller and less robust that other varieties, but is very beautiful at all times of the year. It belongs to the tropical region of the world and is less popular in the western world. The origin of this tree is regarded as India and Sri Lanka. The name refers to the thickened margins of the leaves. In October and November, the upper surfaces of the downward sweeping; hairy branches are laden with copious, short clusters of deep pink flowers. The tree appears almost overweighed with the profusion of blossoms. The flowers are quite small, little more than one inch across, with five petals, two of which are often slightly larger. They are more of a salmon pink than the other cassias and each petal is delicately veined with green, the pink becoming deeper as the flower ages. Each leaf bears from five to ten pairs of small leaflets, oblong and blunt ended. The pods are slender 10 inch cylinders. The tree needs partial to full sun and well-drained soil. This tree will need regular watering as well. Propagation is done by seeds after scarification and by soaking the seeds overnight. Red cassia provides a bright statement in any landscaping plan.

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Cassia bicapsularis

Christmas Bush / Money Bush / Yellow Candlewood

This is yet another Cassia which is a winter delight in the gardens. Senna or Cassia bicapsularis is a species of the legume genus Senna, native to northern South America, from Panama south to Venezuela and Colombia, and also the West Indies. It is a shrub or a tree growing to 3.5 m tall, but in the Middle Eastern climate it behaves as a shrub or a bush and is limited to its dwarf stature. The leaves are 2.5–9 cm long, pinnate, with six to eight leaflets; the leaflets are 1.6–4.5 cm long and 1.1–2.3 cm broad. Yellow flowers of 12 – 16 mm are produced together on short racemes. It grows in partial to full sunlight in a variety of soils. Heat damages its branch tips during summers, therefore it needs tip pruning in early autumns. It is widely used in avenue landscaping and gardens. It remains green during the other seasons proving it as evergreen component of any landscape. Like other cassias, seeds are hardy which needs scarification before propagation.

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Bauhinia blakeana

Hong Kong Orchid Tree

Bauhinia blakeana originated in Hong Kong in 1880 and apparently all of the cultivated trees derive from one cultivated at the Hong Kong Botanic Gardens and widely planted in Hong Kong starting in 1914. It is referred to as bauhinia in non-scientific literature though this is the name of the genus. As it is only known in cultivation, it can also be named as a cultivar: Bauhinia ‘Blakeana’. This tree was discovered in around 1880 by a French Catholic Missionary of the Paris Foreign Missions, near the ruins of a house on above the shore-line of western Hong Kong island near Pok Fu Lam and propagated to the formal botanical gardens in Victoria Central. It was later named for Sir Henry Blake, British Governor of Hong Kong, from 1898 to 1903 who was a keen amateur botanist.

Bauhinia blakeana is an orchid tree with large thick leaves and striking purplish red flowers. The fragrant, orchid-like flowers are usually 10 to 15 centimeters across, and bloom from early November to the end of March. It is now cultivated in many tropical and subtropical areas. Propagation is by grafting, cuttings and air-layering. Although Hong Kong orchid trees are usually sterile and leading botanists now surmise they don’t belong to a true species, but a hybrid. Yet here, too, there are exceptions. One tree has been found in Hong Kong that produces seeds, perhaps indicating that the Hong Kong orchid tree is evolving or mutating. Or that even though Bauhinia blakeana is perhaps sterile itself, i.e., suffering pollen or ovum (or both) viability problems as a hybrid to self-fertile, however, it may perhaps be pollinated instead by its parental species Bauhinia purpurea or Bauhinia variegata or other related Bauhinia species to produce seeds.

Cultivation

This tree grows in part shade/part sun. It is best grown on clay, loam, sand, slightly alkaline, acidic and well-drained soils. It is highly tolerant to drought. Orchid-Tree may need occasional pruning to maintain its shape and for vehicular or pedestrian clearance beneath the canopy. Branches droop as the tree grows, and requires pruning; routinely grown with, or trainable to be grown with, multiple trunks; tree wants to grow with several trunks but can be trained to grow with a single trunk also. It requires pruning to develop strong structure. It is susceptible to breakage either at the crotch due to poor collar formation, or the wood itself is weak and tends to break. . Problems include a tendency to show nutritional deficiencies, especially potassium and the litter problem created by the falling leaves and flowers.

Uses

1.  It makes a beautiful specimen planted in parks or on large properties.

2.  They are well suited for planting along streets and in wide medians along a boulevard.

3.  Bauhinia blakeana was adopted as the floral emblem of Hong Kong by the Urban Council in 1965. Since 1997 the flower appears on Hong Kong’s coat of arm, its flag and its coins.

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Millingtonia hortensis

Tree jasmine / Indian Cork tree

Millingtonia hortensis the sole species in the genus Millingtonia, is a tree native to South East Asia. It is named for Sir Thomas Millington who was an inspiration to Carl Linnaeus who first described the genus. The specific epithet ‘hortensia’ derives from ‘hortensis’ and ‘hortus’ which in Latin are related to garden. Millingtonia Avenue in Lucknow, India is named after Millingtonia hortensis. From April until the rains and again in November and December, a profusion of silvery white, delightfully fragrant flowers crown the foliage. Each flower is a tiny bell shaped calyx, a long slender tube of palest green dividing into four waxy, white petals and several conspicuous yellow anthered stamens. Many flowers are delicately tinted with rose. As the flowers are short lived, the flower sprays mostly consist largely of long whitish buds, while the ground below is spangled with innumerable little stars. Between January and March the leaves are shed and renewed during April and may, although the tree is never quite naked.

Cultivation

The tree grows to height of between 18 to 25 meters and has a spread of 7 to 11 meters. It reaches maturity between 6 to 8 years of age and lives for up to 40 years. It is a versatile tree which can grow in various soil types and climates with a preference for moist climates. The tree is evergreen and has an elongated pyramidal stem. The soft, yellowish-white wood is brittle and can break under strong gusts of wind. Cork tree can grow in variety of soils. It requires full sunlight for its growth.

Uses

1.  The tree is considered ornamental and the pleasant fragrance of the flowers renders it ideal as a garden tree. Its flowers are used in the rituals.

2.  The wood is also used as timber and the bark is used as an inferior substitute for cork and used in production of yellow dye.

3.  The leaves are also used as a cheap substitute for tobacco in cigarettes. The flowers can be rolled like tobacco for smoking as a treatment for throat ailments, and the extract of the leaves has good antimicrobial activity. It is used as tea, its dried flowers make a good lung tonic.

4.  Stem and roots of the cork tree have great medicinal value. It is also used in the cough diseases.

5.  It is reported for its different types of pharmacologically actions like antioxidant, larvicidal, anti proliferate action, antimicrobial action, and antifungal activities.

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Delonix regia

Royal Poinciana / Gulmohur

Delonix regia is a species of flowering plant in the family