Mystery of African Mahogany G20 sapling at Delhi’s Nehru Park solved — it’s a substitute

Sources added that a replacement African Mahogany sapling has now been sourced and is expected to arrive in the national capital shortly. It will be planted at the designated site, replacing the current one.

The clarification comes days after a post on social media platform X, by citizen-led handle DelhiTrees, flagged the tree labelled as African Mahogany as resembling a Jamun. The post received over 28 lakh views, prompting questions about how the mismatch occurred and whether due diligence was carried out.

The Indian Express on July 31 had reported that officials in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), which facilitated logistics for the plantation event, said that confirmation of plant species would require expert verification and that they had referred the matter to the Ministry of External Affairs, which had coordinated the drive.

The ceremonial plantation, which took place in September 2023, involved planting live saplings received as gifts from G20 member countries and invited international organisations.

As per government sources, some of these plants were sent to India by participating countries, while others were locally procured in mutual consultation. The selection of species was made with expert guidance to increase the survivability of saplings in Indian conditions.

For plants brought from abroad, sources said, the required quarantine period was completed at the ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) in Pusa, Delhi, before plantation.

Following the Summit, the ambassadors and representatives from each country or organisation planted their respective saplings at a designated area in Nehru Park, which had been prepared in advance by horticulture officials.

Sources said it was anticipated that some saplings might not survive after being planted in a new climate. To prepare for this, alternate saplings of local Indian varieties, such as mango or jamun, had been identified and kept ready. These were to be used in case of any losses, until the original species could be sourced again.

According to the sources, the saplings presented by South Korea and South Africa also did not survive post-plantation. This, they said, was within expected parameters.

In such cases, embassies were approached to provide suitable replacements — either from their own country or procured locally with their approval. In the interim, substitute Indian tree saplings were planted to keep the plantation site visually consistent.
The South Korean Embassy has already provided a replacement of the original species, and that tree was replanted before the onset of the monsoon, sources said.

The South African High Commission is also in the process of securing its replacement sapling, which will be planted once available.

The G20 ceremonial plantation featured 17 trees representing participating countries and organisations, selected for their symbolism and environmental significance. These included Olive trees from Turkey, Spain and Italy; Real Yellowwood from South Africa; Silver Tree from South Korea; Date Palm from Egypt and Saudi Arabia; Teak from Indonesia; Camphor Laurel from China; and the Sausage Tree and Red Frangipani from the African Union.