There are trees called Ravantad of the palm clan, which can be seen in Sayajibagh, in front of Baba Saheb’s monument, behind the Raj Mahal, at the end of Navlakhi ground, and on the banks of Vishwamitri river too. At one time these trees were in good numbers in Vadodara but now it is included in the list of endangered trees.
The Department of Social Forestry, Vadodara has undertaken a hopeful endeavor in which the number of Ravantad trees can be increased.
Informing about this, Kartik Maharaja, Deputy Forest Conservator, Social Forestry Department, Vadodara, said, “We have collected about 500 fruits the size of a tennis ball from this tree, planted the whole fruit in the ground and made a nursery bed. This is how we are working to grow the seedlings of this tree.”
This tree is also known by other names like Hoka Tree, Doum Palm, Ginger Bread Tree. Its fruit has a very hard crust on top. However, its fruits are not widely used for eating like palm pods.
He further said “We have to wait for six months for success in this experiment. We are hoping for it to sprout from the seeds after the fruits are buried in the ground rot. If we succeed in growing a seedling in this way, its number can be increased by the new trees of Ravantad. We are currently patiently waiting for a good result.”
This is almost the first attempt to plant the Ravantad plant.
Photo and information: Department of Social Forestry, Vadodara
