Imported from 17 countries for G20, saplings find a home at Lutyens’ park

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs Hardeep Puri, Delhi L-G VK Saxena, and India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant also participated in the event; they planted a Banyan sapling, the national tree of India, also known as the “Tree of Life”.

“For us Delhiites, Nehru park has a particular symbolism, so I am sure that in the years to come, when we take our morning and evening walks here, the G20 trees will always be here to look back at what was one of our achievements,” Jaishankar said during the ceremony.

The Indian Express had earlier reported that saplings of Silver Tree were imported from South Korea; Date Palm from Saudi Arabia; Olive from Italy and Turkey; Real Yellowwood from South Africa; Winterlinde from Germany; Cockspur Coral from Argentina; Camphor Laurel from China and Japan; and Golden Wattle and Northern Black Wattle from Australia for the ceremony.

Before being planted, the saplings were kept at a post-entry quarantine facility at ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Pusa for over three months.

Jaishankar also said India’s G20 Presidency will be remembered as “G20 for the future” due to its strong focus on environment and sustainability. “There is a very strong green-global-south image that has come out of the G20, it can be remembered as a green, sustainable and, in many ways, a G20 of the future,” he said.

“… Thank G20 members, the guest countries, and International Organisations for their contribution and participation. India’s #G20 Presidency played the role of a unifier in a deeply divided world,” said Jaishankar in a post on ‘X’.