Having trees as friends is not uncommon. They are extremely patient listeners, comforting and sometimes (you may not believe this) also respond! As a teenager with a lot of stories and gossip to share, in search of some privacy, I would sneak onto the balcony to talk to my friends or write my diary. Sitting next to my mother’s Curry leaf tree (Murraya koenigii) sapling was my favourite spot. She (Murraya) could overhear my conversations with my friends: she knew all the school gossip, which teacher I loved the most and which partner was not contributing enough to the projects I was involved in. I would end up talking to Murraya about some things I did not understand well then, ask questions about it and later discuss what I might think would be the right answer.
Murraya sapling with a caterpillar
One fine day, as I was contemplating next to her, I noticed Murraya had some leaves oddly missing. When I inspected it more closely, I saw that the leaves were actually chewed in! Oh, I was furious and curious! I looked under each leaf, I shook the soil, I inspected all around the pot to find the culprit, but in vain. After many days of scratching my head, I googled “insects that attack Curry leaf plants”. It was not hard to find the culprit after that.
Camouflaged caterpillar on Murraya tree
Invisible in plain sight, a caterpillar of the common Mormon butterfly sat completely still, perfectly camouflaged on the sapling. Fascinated by the discovery, I researched about the caterpillar, found many over the days and got rid of them whenever I could. Somehow, one caterpillar managed to stay out of sight until it cocooned, I found this on the eve of my final exams and ended up spending the entire afternoon watching the butterfly wiggle out of the cocoon and in the most graceful manner, open its wings to fly. I ended up writing a poem or two about it later as well.
Common Mormon butterfly eclosing
Murraya shared her leaves and caterpillars with me when I wanted to do a behaviour experiment for my bachelor’s degree (Biology and Chemistry). Almost a decade later, here I am working as a researcher studying neurobiology and the behaviour of pest moths that destroy our crops. I have to admit that this was not the sole experience with trees and insects that led me to where I am today: discovering weaver ant nests in trees around me, documenting the flora and fauna of my university campus, saving a tree on my street from termites and many more such events take part in forging my path over the years. However, Murraya is where all this began. Talking to humans and animals is a part of daily life for most people, not often do you see sharing with plants. They are living creatures we share this planet with, to me, they are as good a friend as any other. I try to be the same for them as well.
Murraya, thanks for being there for me and inspiring me.
Photos by Aditi Vijayan
About the author: Aditi Vijayan is a plant, bird and bug enthusiast. She is currently doing my PhD in neurophysiology and ethology in Kassel, Germany. She is a big fan of the fauna and flora of the Indian subcontinent and enjoys reading about them and sketching/painting/photographing them as well. She is fascinated by the way plants and animals perceive their surroundings in a very different way than humans do.
