Shedding trees make it look like autumn in Singapore

For the past few weeks, Singaporeans have been enjoying the beauty of autumn in the tropical country.

The sudden increase in rainfall recently caused the leaves of the Sea Almond Tree (Terminalia catappa) and the Malayan Crape Myrtle Tree (Lagerstroemia floribunda) in certain parts of the island to turn red and yellow, resulting in autumn-like scenery, much like what you see in countries with four seasons.

The beautiful foliage has been spotted along Everton Road, North Buona Vista Road, in the vicinity of the Singapore General Hospital and at East Coast Park.

WildSingapore, an online local nature guide, attributes the change to the trees shedding their leaves, which causes them to turn red or yellow. This happens twice a year.

While the colour change is rare among trees in the tropics, the monsoon period this month has led to cooler temperatures that speed up the shedding process.

Last week, the National Parks Board (NParks) posted on its Facebook page pictures of trees covered in red and yellow leaves at East Coast Park.

It has also asked Singaporeans to share images of their sightings on its Facebook page or Instagram feed @nparksbuzz using the hashtag #sgautumn.

And many people have done so, with most noting the beautiful transformation to be most prominent at East Coast Park.

Filipina Yvonne Zafara, 51, who has been visiting the park daily with her family during her week-long vacation here, says: "I think the red leaves are very nice even with the heavy rain in the past few days. I don't see this often in the Philippines. I may come back to Singapore again just to see them."

Housewife Lau Wai Kuen, 46, who goes to East Coast Park weekly with her family, says she has not seen the trees yet, but will check them out.

"The red leaves will make it feel like it's autumn and it's quite exciting. It will be a nice feeling since it's something different."

plow@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on November 22, 2014.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.