Blooms that Signal End of Winters

January to March in Delhi. After several years. This deserves a post. 

I recall clearly, for fourteen years, I walked daily towards the school building through the Semal-tree lined street. So I can claim to know something about them. I find these trees fascinating. They have a personality. I've noticed Gulmohars thinning across the city, but Semals I find dominating still. I know of people who find Gulmohars useless. Though they have nice flowers like the Semal, they cannot match the utilitarian qualities that Semuls possess. Plus many of our neighbors find the Gulmohur tree messy due to their heavy shedding of leaves (gone are the days of tree-huggers). Did you know almost everything that the Semul produces has a use to humans especially in Ayurveda? The bark contains tannic acid, which is great for skin burns (not that I tried it). Then you have semul pillows from this silk-cotton tree (which are comfy, I testify). Anyhow, more about the trees below. Bet you've noticed the beautiful tree:

These tropical trees commonly known as 'semal' (taxonomically known as "Bombax Ceiba") have many peculiar things about them. They look like ordinary trees all the year round, but they really are the harbingers of the summer to spring transition. This tree, has a lot to say when it blooms in early spring: it is fiery, flamboyant, showy and the rest of the year it is your humble and ordinary roadside tree.Embodies the spirit of  'carpe diem' in my opinion.

Their flowers though flaming red, lack any appealing smell to humans. Here you can see them with the autumn leaves. At a point in time, the Semal tree will be bereft of  the green leaves and will just have these magnificent red flowers. And then as the nature's laws prevail, the flowers will give way to fruits.

So, a bit later in the year they will have huge pod like fruits, which fall down with a thud and are full of seeds, ensconced in very soft cotton silk. This silk is often used as pillow filling. Hopefully I should have pictures to add then.