Come January, soft pink petals begin carpeting the streets and backyards of India’s garden city – a picturesque symbol of the arrival of the blooming season. Often mistaken for cherry blossoms, rosy trumpets have a long history with Bangalore. As images of the floral fiesta flood social media, here’s looking at all the best spots to witness them in all their glory.
Besides slow-moving traffic, bustling breweries, and perennially pleasant weather – the one subject residents of Bangalore hold dear to their hearts is the ‘cherry blossom’ season. In fact, between the months of January and March, #PinkBengaluru trends on Twitter and Instagram – courtesy of pink poui. An exotic species – called tabebuia avellanedae – that are native to South America, these often get confused with Sakura flowers.
However, they’re distinctly different – trumpet-shaped petals and yellow throats, with a delicate disposition. Interestingly, their blooming period is just a few weeks long at best, giving locals just enough time to whip out their phones and picnic baskets to make the most of it all. Popular months to spot them – other than the dry first months of the year, are August, September, and May. This year, they’ve begun populating public spaces a lot sooner than before – prompting us to take a peek at their history while looking up the best spots for a front-row seat to the floral explosion.
The British planted ‘cherry blossoms’ that bathe Bangalore in pink
AECS Layout, Whitefield
Tabebuia pink flowers bloom in Bengaluru every spring, painting the city in shades of pink. The pink trumpet trees are a popular tourist attraction and a true representation of the city’s natural beauty.VC : IG@shrey_asf
#Bengaluru #Tabebuia pic.twitter.com/QFEnz94dEc— Karnataka Tourism (@KarnatakaWorld) March 21, 2023
These flowers were introduced to Bangalore by the British. The story goes that they wished to remind themselves of spring back home – valuing exotic, ornamental species over native ones. They then introduced rosy trumpets to the region, using them to create a certain botanical aesthetic.
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The first seeds were planted by botanists John Cameron and Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel – who shaped Lal Bagh. Post independence – around the 1980s – the mantle was picked up by horticulturist SG Neginhal who planted them as avenue trees around the city.
cherry blossom szn in bangalore is here pic.twitter.com/5RPmK2ZUc5
— defective pikachu⁷ (@kishi_asf) January 15, 2023
Cut to a few years later and every winter, these trees shed their leaves only to produce tiny buds in early January. As weeks pass and the weather goes from chilly to crisp and breezy, these open up to a pink explosion, bathing neighborhoods in blooms that give them a postcard-perfect look.
If you’re keen on enjoying this time, the best spot to head to is Cubbon Park in Ashok Nagar. Not only does the space have these plants in abundance, but it’s also a hub for a range of other flowers – which add strokes of yellow and red to the landscape. Besides this, the residential locales of Jayanagar, HSR Layout, Koramangala, and Indiranagar are great spots for a long walk. That aside, the latest pictures point to AECS Layout as well.
All images: Courtesy Shutterstock
Eshita is a food, alcohol, travel, and entertainment writer who spends her days thinking of the next big trend to write about. She’s a communication graduate with bylines in Conde Nast Traveller India, GQ India, Deccan Herald, and Girls Buzz. When not at work, you’re likely to find her hunting for a good read or charting out the perfect itinerary for a solo trip across Asia.
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