Hanoi to feature flamboyant trees on streets

As reported by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, the median strips of major streets in Hanoi such as Lang Ha, Tay Son, Xa Dan, and Giai Phong have been planted with flamboyant trees spaced three to four meters apart.

Flamboyant trees are a species of flowering plant originating from Madagascar and are noted for their fern-like leaves and flamboyant displays of flowers.

In Vietnam, the tree is commonly seen in schools and other public spaces, and its blossom is often nicknamed the ‘student flower’ due to its characteristic of blossoming between May and July, the end of the academic year in the country.

According to the chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, Nguyen Duc Chung, the city decided to plant flamboyant trees on all median strips of streets, including Thang Long and Vo Nguyen Giap Boulevards, to make up for thousands of trees lost each year due to decay or rainstorm damage.

“The problem is how to tend to these trees so that they beautify the streets without posing risks to commuters,” said Pham Viet Hoang, a resident on Xa Dan Street.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Thi Mai, who lives on Lang Ha, said that the trees’ spacing was too dense, and that it would be wasteful in the future to prune the overlapping branches once they grow big enough.