Season of pink and white poui blooms in Bintulu

A row of Poui trees along the Tanjong Kidurong Highway.

Its the season of pink and white Poui blooms in Bintulu right now. These large flowering trees were introduced to Bintulu about 34 years ago. Many don't realise that the first seeds of these trees came in a brown envelope in 1985 from Singapore.

There is a letter written by Arthur George Alphonso ( ex- Director of Botanical Gardens, Singapore) attesting to this story.
Please follow this link to see the letter and other stories about these beautiful Poui trees that came in to Bintulu by post.
...>>>>http://mysarawak2.blogspot.com/search/label/Poui

and here...>>>>http://mybintuluhistory.blogspot.com/…/bintulu-trees-by-air…

(Note: This is a re-post from my FB, 12 May'19)

Golden yellow flowers of a jungle tree

 There are many "imported" or non-indigenous trees that are planted as wayside trees in Sarawak.  However, Sarawak is a wealth of forests and there are many local jungle trees can easily be taken out from its original habitat and planted in parks, home gardens or roads here. Among the successful native trees of Malaysia that are  planted in the urban towns or city environment are the Angsana (Pterocarpus indicus), Merawan siput jantan (Hopea odorata), Jelutong (Dyera costulata), Kelumpang burung (Sterculia parviflora), Eugenia oleina and Kedah Gardenia (Gardenia carinata).  At the Kambatik Park this week one jungle tree species has started to flower abundantly.  At the moment I am not able to identify the tree but it is obviously a very hard tropical wood tree.  It is located at Botanic Island One and the tree height is approximately 20 meters high.  I think this tree is a beautiful candidate for urban tree landscaping in Sarawak or Malaysia for that matter.

Location : Botanic Island One - The Kambatik Park, Bintulu.

Images of Bintulu Today

A uniquely designed 'tambang' which in the local Melanau dialect means a small motor launch used to cross the Kemena River . The tambang has been the main transportation for the Kampung Jepak villagers since decades ago.

It's the season of heavy flowering of the Angsana trees ( Peltophorum pterocarpum). The distinct dry weather for the last two weeks with hardly any rain has stimualted the roadside trees in Bintulu to flower flamboyantly. The above is taken near the SMK Bintulu overhead bridge.

The Kemena river as seen from the Bintulu town side. In the far background is the Bukit Jepak with the Melanau fishing villages tucked on its foothills and riversides.

Images of Bintulu Today

Call it guerilla art, graffiti or street art - these are fluid expressions of urban creative aesthetics. Saw this at the Assyakirin Commerce Square. The graffiti covers part of a wall which hide the municipal rubbish bins. For more pictures of Bintulu's graffiti, click here.

Bintulu's sea sprays are ideal for coastal hibiscus plants. For more coastal hibiscus stories please go here.

One major thing that makes Bintulu a league above other towns of Sarawak is the abundance of fresh fishes at the local fish markets. I'll never miss to drop by at the fish market if ever I'm shopping in town. There's so much unspeakable plain joy in eating fresh fishes be it grilled, BBQ, souped, smoked or eaten raw ( umai or sushi style). Want to know more about fish markets and seafood menu, please click here.

The "Queen of Sarawak Palm" blossoms

In Bintulu, and enjoying the garden and forest views here. I have a tough day at the farm today but what kept my spirits up was a rare scene of the lakka palm, aka renda ( Cyrtostachys renda/ Cyrtostachys lakka) in full bloom. The renda is an extremely lovely palm for me. Her smooth trunk is surrounded by bright red leafsheaths making her recognizable from a distance. In my opinion it should be named the Queen of Sarawak palms. It is a native of Sarawak or Malaysia and Borneo for that matter. Its original habitat is peat swamp forests but is so versatile that it can be grown in big pots for corporate offices, in residential homes, roadsides and many types of urban landscapes. In Bintulu, the bright red stem and crown shaft are used to decorate arches and for many other ornamental uses e.g. school parade grounds, grandstands, etc., At the inset is a close-up view of the flower stalks. You have to be lucky to catch a glimpse of it when it is still a short palm because in the wild the palm can reach 30 meters high and its flowering magic will be missed. But not to worry here it is for every one to marvel - WYSWYG!!

Very rarely seen blossoms of the renda

The flower stalk of the renda has many branches with each about 30 - 70 cm long. The creamy white flowers are very small and not scented. From my observation, the flower buds are set in a pit. When the flowers fall and seeds develop, the latter are held intact in the same pit.

Dark, mysterious and delicious -looking like black grapes

It is from these seeds that the renda can be propagated. I have experimented with germinating the seeds before but it takes minimum about 2 to as long as 9 months for them to burst into life. Therefore when looking for a quick fix, I would normally remove a sucker from the clump to have an instant renda palm of various heights.

Inspired by Black Beauty

Today I am inspired. I scouted for a few flowering heliconia species at my garden to team up with the attractive dark seeds of the renda. To heighten the rich colours further, I did not hesitate to add the light red leaves of the "Red Ti" ( Cordyline terminalis) . I have had many experiments with exotic daily cut flowers before but this is the first time I'm using the seeds of the renda. I thought of using a cylindrical bamboo -weaved container to obscure the white glass vase inside.

The result is shown below. The dark orange with green tips latispatha, the " Sassy Pink" and the yellow "Golden Torch" have brought much live to the otherwise dark and mysterious stalk of the renda. I would like to name this floral composition " Black Sweet ". In Sarawak it is common to hear of people calling a darkish brown complexion lady as "Hitam Manis" ( Malay, literally translated 'Black sweet') especially when her smile is of the captivating type. So for all those lovely hitam manis girls out there, this one is for you.

Floral arrangement # "Black Sweet"

For more exotic looking floral arrangement that is inspired by the Kambatik garden please check it out here.

January flowering trees of Bintulu (Part 3) - Kedah Gardenia

A mature Kedah Gardenia tree at Medan Jaya shopping area, alongside the car parking lots.


In the ' Medan Jaya' shopping area today, I was glad to come across a long row of flowering tree-gardenia species known locally as the 'Kedah Gardenia'. Its botanical name is Gardenia carinata and hails from the Coffee family ( Rubiaceae). It is a medium tree and can reach a height of 15 meters. Young trees flower at about four years old. It is rather slow in growth and thus is suitable for the house garden. In addition, it has an upright growing habit with an oval crown thus making the garden less shady but more showy due to its large bright yellow flowers ( see inset). This plant is a relative import to the Bintulu landscaping industry and most probably was introduced to the Bintulu garden scene less than 10 years ago. It is no stranger to Malaysia from which it originates. Kedah is one of the states on the Peninsular Malaysia where the plant finds home and get its vernacular name - Kedah Gardenia. However, because of the ease of propagation through seeds many nursery owners in Sarawak are able to raise them and keep large stock available for purchase.

The flowers start to bloom in pale cream and gradually takes on a bright orange-yellow colour. These large showy flowers are borne in the leaf axils viz the terminal end of the twigs. Fruits are oval and they appear green at first and matures to yellow colour. The tree is easily propagated through seeds. Location : Medan Jaya , Bintulu.

If Bintulu town residents want a different and slightly better quality of urban life, planting more of the fragrant Kedah Gardenia would be an excellent idea for home gardens, neighbourhood parks, car parking lots, public parks and small to medium-sized town roads. More fragrant spots in the town will surely make the town people happier with the town's green lungs.

For more pictures of Kedah Gardenia flowers please click here.

January flowering trees of Bintulu ( Part 2) - Yellow Flame

Close-up of the inflorescences showing crinkled petals.

A short row of flowering Yellow Flame trees along Tun Ahmad Zaidi Road near Kampung Assyakirrin, Bintulu.

Driving leisurely along the Tun Ahmad Zaidi Road today, my gaze was directed to a short row of flowering trees near the Kampung Assyakirrin area. The Yellow Flame flowers were all over the rounded canopy and appeared to crown the tree with its golden glory. Such is the beauty of the Yellow Flame ( Peltophorum pterocarpum) and this flowering season can last for a few weeks. The Yellow Flame is a local tree by which I mean its origins can be found in Malaysia and nearby South East Asian countries. Sarawak is too rich in hard tropical timber that even though the trunk of the tree can be used as planks, it is seldom harvested for its timber. In Indonesia especially on the island of Java the batik makers there used the bark of the tree as dye in colouring their batik pieces. The Yellow Flame belongs to the Leguminosae family ( Bean family) and in Sarawak the Yellow Flame is planted more for its ornamental value. It is planted in Bintulu as medium sized tree for medium-sized town roads. It can however grow to a height of 18 meters when matured. The flowers are golden yellow in hue ( see top picture) and are borne on erect terminal pyramid-like panicles. After a heavy flowering season the tree will produce pods that are flat and purplish brown in colour. Most nursery owners propagate them by way of seeds and it is generally known that germination takes about two or more months. However many nursery owners soak the seeds in hot water for about two (2) minutes to speed up the germination process. Another interesting habit of the Yellow Flame is the leaf exchange process that it undergoes after each flowering season. Immediately after leaf shedding , new leaf production will follow and the cycle later complete itself with the next flowering magic.

Even though Bintulu had planted the Yellow Flame as popular roadside trees beginning the mid 1980's starting at Nyabau Road ( short cut to Bintulu Port from Bintulu- Miri Highway at Mile 5 Traffic Junction) and the Dewan Suarah internal roads, not all of them flower in concert this January. Probably this is one characteristic typical of the Yellow Flame. They don't burst in golden flowers simultaneously all over the town roads. Despite this weakness they are still my favourite due to its bright yellow colour, moderate size and robust stature once they are heavily pruned. The last point reminds me of one specific "Grand Old Yellow Flame tree of Bintulu " that is still standing proudly at the center of Bintulu town if one cares to notice. The Yellow Flame thus speaks volume of Bintulu town landscaping attempts since the 1950's.

January flowering trees of Bintulu ( Part 1) - Golden Penda

Flowering Golden Penda trees along a small road near Kampung Assyakirrin, Bintulu. The bright pinkish red flowers next to it are the flowers of the Crepe flower ( Lagerstroemia indica)

This year the month of December has been memorable in that my occasional visits to the 'Tamu' or jungle produce market and night markets in Bintulu are not met with the rich display of seasonal fruits. No, sadly enough there aren't any smell of the ever popular durians, langsat, rambutans, dabai, cempedak or ong lumok and many other local end of year fruits. As is normal the fruit season will continue till January or even February. But will there be any fruit stalls selling seasonal fruits in the night markets this month is a big guessing and waiting game for many lovers of local fruits throughout Sarawak. If it did not happen in December, will January bring in the cheers? The very wet weather it is thought by many experienced farmers to have caused poor flowering which resulted in extremely poor harvest of local durians and other seasonal fruits. Be as it may, I feel delighted today as I drive along many small roads here to see the exuberant golden flowers of the Golden Penda trees ( Xanthostemon chrysantus). At the inset is a close-up of the flowers. The long stamens appear like fireworks in the night sky. The Golden Penda comes from the Family - Myrtaceae or the Myrtle family of which the common edible ones are the guava ( Psidium guajava) and the Malay apple ( Syzygium malaccense) . While the guava and the Malay apple originates from Malaysia and Indonesia, the Golden Penda's origins are said to be from Australia. Golden Pendas are grown in Bintulu mainly for its ornamental value being a small compact tree with abundant masses of golden yellow flowers.

Ten years ago the Golden Penda was never seen in Bintulu. Thus it must have been introduced to Bintulu between 5-6 years ago. But whatever its origin and its late popularity, the Golden Penda has begun to show its true colours this January.

Images of Bintulu Today

At Zone E of the Kambatik Botanic garden I found this spectacular blackish white-rimmed fungus thriving on a rotten tree stump.

In close-up, the long protruding stamens of the Golden Penda ( Xanthosemon chrysanthus) resembles fireworks in the night sky. The Golden Penda belongs to the genus Eugenia and they have the characteristic powder puff-like flowers. The "Jambu" ( Eugenia jambos) and Eugenia oleina flowers also have similar masses of flowers. The picture was taken along a side road at Kampung Assyakirrin. More such trees should be grown in Bintulu. The genus Eugenia belongs to the family Myrtaceae (Myrtle family).

A common resident at my eco-farm is the Bulbul bird. It loves to eat the ripe juicy red seeds of the 'Simpoh Air' ( Dillenia suffructicosa) that are found growing along the stream at the farm and often builds nest at the Eugenia oleina trees that are grown as roadside trees here. I have seen them eating the berries of the Eugenia oleina trees and this fact makes me feel that planting the Eugenia trees have brought in much needed wildlife.

Images of Bintulu Today

Jepak silhouette - a very early morning glimpse of the Jepak Hill with the iconic telco tower. Half-way up the tower is found a nest built by the white-bellied sea eagle. For more stories and images of Bintulu please click here

Daisy on the roof - Daisy finds it comfortable and lovable putting up in Bintulu. Catch up with her and Inul in their travels throughout Sarawak here.

Very rarely seen flowers of the Angel's trumpet ( Randia macrantha) blossoming at my Kambatik Botanic Garden.

Images of Bintulu Today

Fishing boats berthing at the newly completed Bintulu Waterfront

The common open country and pioneering shrub called " Senduduk" are found everywhere along roadsides, open spaces and residential areas around Bintulu.

Offshore boats servicing the oil and gas platforms off the Bintulu coast are parked at the Bintulu waterfront wharf.