Endangered South American tree staying on a school campus in Chennai

The surest solution to lose one thing precious is to persist in ignorance about its worth. Viewed from an ecological viewpoint, Roughbark lignum-vitae (Guaiacum officinale) won’t belong to those elements. But if one accorded pure historical past the place it deserves however is commonly denied, generally wilfully, this Roughbark lignum-vitae must be made welcome, felt at house within the handful of earth in Chennai it has claimed as its personal. 

Exotic timber have turn out to be naturalised of their adopted landscapes and are readily recognized. The Roughbark lignum-vitae has not achieved that stage of familiarity in Chennai; there may be only a scattering of them within the metropolis. And this clutch must be zealously guarded as this tree is confronted with dwindling numbers all over the place. It is uncommon not simply in Chennai, however even in lands the place it’s thought-about native.

According to IUCN, the tree is endangered, exploitation of the tree for its wooden (stated to have been the densest on the earth) having reached the tipping level.

“A small evergreen tree native to South America, it’s reported to have been launched to our elements within the sixteenth century.  It “adoption” may have been the results of the decorative worth it dropped at a panorama: it places out putting bluish purple flowers that entice butterflies and has brilliant yellow-orange fruits. In Tamil, it’s referred to as seemai vairamaram,” says T.D. Babu, a member of the Chennai District Green Committee and a key member of tree conservation organisation Nizhal.

Babu underlines its particular options — “thought-about densest and water-proof, this tree’s has been utilized in ship constructing. Its resin and bark are stated to have medicinal properties. These components led to its business exploitation and dwindling numbers.”

In gentle of the specter of extinction confronted by this tree, one would count on extra care to be given to the clutch of Roughbark lignum-vitae timber present in Chennai. 

One of them has the Queen Mary’s College Campus for an deal with. Babu notes that the bottom of the tree has suffered injury, not pure however human-inflicted up to now. It additionally shows “wounds” additional up its gnarled body — an amputated department. Babu needs the state of the tree’s precincts to mirror its preciousness. Currently, the earth it stands in is overrun with weeds. This is the standing report about this tree at Queen Mary’s College campus as on August 8, 2025. Besides, on that day, this Roughbark lignum-vitae was carrying a nameboard not meant for it; one erroneously figuring out it as a Ficus benghalensis moraceae (banyan tree). 

Babu explains why this tree at Queen Mary’s College ought to be positioned inside an impregnable hedge of safety.

“In Chennai we misplaced an enormous Roughbark lignum-vitae tree in a personal property, a fragrance manufacturing unit in Adyar. Another large tree on Swamy Sivananda Salai . We are actually left with this one close to the canteen at Queen Marys College campus; one other inside Rostrevor Gardens, a railways quarters Anna salai; yet another giant tree inside Kalaingnar Poonga on Radhakrishnan Salai. There is a younger Roughbark lignum-vitae every at Kalakshethra campus in Thiruvanmiyur and Lady Willington Institute of Advanced Study in Education at Kamarajar Sala. Outside Chennai, twin Roughbark lignum-vitae timber are discovered on the campus of Tamil Nadu Agriculture University in Coimbatore.”