A wild find in a corner of Kranji

With pretty fluffy pink flowers hanging on a long stem, and curious 'square' fruits, the beautiful Putat sungei (Barringtonia racemosa) is listed as Critically Endangered in Singapore.

Although these trees are widely planted in our parks and gardens, I rarely see one growing in the wild. So it was a delight to encounter what seems to be a wild tree in a little corner of Kranji. The only other tree I've seen that might be wild is the big old mother tree at Admiralty Park.

Alas, the small tree was growing in the middle of a litter-strewn shore. It's still rather young with a skinny trunk, but it was already profusely flowering and fruiting.

There seems to be an even younger Putat sungei treelet growing near this tree. Hopefully it won't be smothered by the carpet of litter that have accumulated here.

To get to this area, I followed a well trodden trail to this corner of Kranji. It goes through some rather scenic vegetation.

Beneath the tall trees in this forest by the sea, the trail is quite open but shady, with lots of small understorey plants and ferns.

The trail skirts the water's edge.

Erosion on the shore seems quite extensive, affecting the small number of mangrove trees that are growing here.

A closer look at the erosion.

There were several tall dead mangrove trees that were still upright. This mangrove tree has fallen over, but it still has leaves!

The trail ends at a shelter, possibly used by fishermen.

There's even a hammock strung up nearby.

There is a lot of litter in this area. Here's some photos of the litter-strewn areas.

It's heartbreaking to see all the litter in what is otherwise a pretty little corner of Kranji.