Little facts about big trees

Malaysia is home to some magnificent large trees.

People may not be aware of it, but many familiar places in Malaysia are named after trees:

Ipoh, Perak: The Ipoh tree (Antiaris Toxicarial) looks harmless enough but contains a poisonous sap used on deadly blowpipe arrows.

Malacca: Parameswara, the founding father of Melaka named the place after a tree he found there (Phyllanthus emblica).

Petaling Jaya, Selangor: This city is named after the Petaling tree (Ochanostachys amentacea).

Petaling Jaya was named after this tree.

Not only places have been named after trees. The first national car, Proton Saga, is named after the saga tree (Adenanthera pavonina).

The oldest rubber tree in the country can be found in Kuala Kangsar on the corner of Jalan Raja Idris and Jalan Raja Chulan. It was grown from a seed bought to Malaya in 1877.

The Giant Taro or Borneo Giant plant (alocasia macrorrhiza) has the largest un-split leaf in the world. It can be found in the jungles of Borneo and elsewhere in Malaysia. Technically, it may not be a tree but it is as big as one!

The world’s tallest tropical tree discovered so far is a Yellow Meranti (shorea faguetiana) found in the Danum Valley Conservation Centre in Sabah last year with a height of almost 101m.

This 45m Jelutong tree at Sungai Menyala Forest Reserve is said to be the tallest of its species in Malaysia.

The oldest tree in Malaysia is thought to be 1,500 years old. It is in Taman Negara.

The most valuable fruit tree in Malaysia is the durian. Its pungent but delicious fruit is so sought after that durian plantations often have to be guarded during the fruiting season.

This article first appeared in Malaysia Traveller

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