Araneta City Is Home to Some Pretty Peculiar Plants
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On its best days, Araneta City in Cubao sees thousands of people walk in and around for business, leisure, or maybe a little of both. In between those trips to the local buildings, stores, and restaurants, lush greenery adorns the sidewalks and open spaces that usher visitors in.
Chances are most of us don't pay any attention to the flora around. We all have somewhere else to be and those plants are, well, plants we just pass. But look more closely and you'll realize that these landscaped gardens are integral to Araneta City's character. It provides the public a breather from all the monotones that engulf the bustling city center.
Interestingly, Araneta City is home to a diverse set of plant species—more than 200 of them—according to Araneta Group’s Center maintenance team and resident arborist Jimmy Tan. Some of these plants are so rare that they can be hard to come by anywhere else in the country but have nevertheless thrived in the complex's ecosystem.
Let's name a few of them here.
King Ferns (Angiopteris Evecta)
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At Oasis Gateway Mall, we can observe various King Ferns in the al fresco area.
Angiopteris Evecta is a giant rainforest fern native to the Southeast Asia and Oceania region. They only grow on very rich soils and are often of volcanic origin. King Ferns love places with an abundant freshwater supply, like river banks and creeks. These ferns can reach heights of close to four feet and can grow up to three feet wide.
Of course, we're not comparing Gateway Mall's Oasis to an actual rainforest, but the maintenance team at Araneta has definitely made a decent water and drainage system that mimic some elements of their natural habitat.
Yellow Bauhinia (Bauhinia Tomentosa)
The yellow bell-shaped flowers we can find beside Ali Mall along Gen. Romulo Avenue are the Yellow Bauhinia.
Native to India, Sri Lanka, and parts of tropical and Southern Africa, the Bauhinia Tomentosa has different medicinal uses. They can be utilized to treat pain, rheumatism, fever, and ulcers. This plant species can actually be bred pretty easily, as it can survive in various habitats, from coastal forests to even roadsides.
They bloom from February to March.
Trumpet Trees (Tabebuia)
Under Shopwise Skybridge at Araneta City, visitors can find these golden Trumpet Trees.
These flowering trees are usually indigenous to South and Central America. They've also found a home in Cubao, apparently. While the ones in Araneta City come in yellow, some varieties of Tabebuia blossom in pink and purple.
Golden Penda (Xanthostemon Chrysanthus)
The Golden Penda can be found along the Telus Building sidewalk, right across the parking garage.
Xanthostemon Chrysanthus are common in North Eastern Queensland in Australia. And given the right temperature and soil, it bears beautiful golden flowers. It was originally named Metrosideros chrysantha and was first described by Victorian Government Botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in 1864. Eventually, it was reclassified in the genus Xanthostemon by George Bentham.
Mickey Mouse Bush (Ochna Serrulata)
Those lovely yellow flowers with those berry-like fruits you see in Araneta City aren't just there for aesthetic purposes. They also happen to help preserve the wildlife here.
The sweet scent of its flowers draws in bees and butterflies. Meanwhile, those berries serve as treats to local birds. Endemic to South Africa, the Ochna Serrulata is a shrub known for its suspended bright-red sepals, hence the Mickey Mouse shape and nickname.
