Asia’s lone Redwood tree surviving at CSIR Yarikha Tangmarg

Srinagar: Asia’s lone Redwood tree botanically known as Sequoiadendron giganteum, or Giant tree is surviving at the Field Station Council of Science and Industrial Research (CSIR) Yarikha in Tangmarg area of north Kashmir district of Baramulla.
The tree believed to be 150-year-old is the lone surviving tree of its origin found in the Field Station CSIR Yarikha has been declared a heritage tree by the administration, Qazi Parveiz incharge of the Indian Institute of Integrated Medicine Yarikha told UNI.
He said that these trees are rare and are found in North America and Nevada California where it has also been declared an endangered tree.
The giant tree is from the family of Cupressaceous of Conifer and is in the shape of a huge Morchella Mushroom and remains always green in all seasons and draws attention of the on-lookers by its size and look. Interestingly the tree does not have any birds nest on it, nor has been seen birds erecting their homes, which remains a mystery, claims Parveiz.
“I have been working as an incharge of this form for the past 12 years and had tried very hard during all these years to know about the historical background of this tree from my senior officials or laborers who are working here”, Parveiz said and added “they even said that the tree exists here in the same height and condition since we came here years ago”.
“In my studies I came to know that it is at least 150 years old. We have already taken the samples of this tree to know more about it and I am presently doing scanning of the samples to learn more about the origin of the unique tree”, he said.
He said that it is surprising to learn when one looks 150 years back and it is believed the farm should not have been in this form and could have been a total forest area till Magam area of the north Kashmir as the surroundings are covered with thick woods.
To know who planted this tree and where from the sample had come is a mystery and absolutely it seems 150-years- old, Parveiz said.
He said that these trees are found in North America and Nevada California where it has been declared an endangered one, he said and added as per his study he had gone through the literature of International Union of Conservation (IUCN) and came to know that it has also been declared an endangered tree.
He said that there is no history about this tree in any part of the world except some woods of California and Nevada where these are still being found.
“Here this tree is the lone tree of its origin found in the Field Station and it is not found in any forest area of the Kashmir valley”, Parveiz said.
He said: ‘I spoke to many forest officers about any presence of this kind of tree anywhere in any jungle but did not find any clue. They even visited here and examined the tree but did not find any similar of this kind anywhere’.
“We have taken the samples of this tree and presently we are doing the propagation of two kinds …vegetation from its branches and also looking by its tissue culture”, he said and added “We have seen this tree is producing coons and seeds and we are also trying to know more about it for the past few years”.
“I have gone through a lot of literature and came to know that it needs a hitch-shock for its propagation on which we are working now”, the CSIR official said. .
He said that we have tried vegetation propagation of its old and tender branches also in open fields, poly houses, green houses and in the laboratory but so far no good response is visible… but we are on the job”, he added.
He said that CSIR is trying to grow its seeds and branches with some growth inject agents, but so far not able to get a good success.
Recently the Director General CSIR Dr Shekher C Mande visited here and declared it a heritage tree. The institute will provide protection for its preservation, he added.