Trees today are valued almost exclusively for their role in mitigating global warming. Hence, there is an urgency to plant trees and save forests. Pakistan is proud to be fourth in a list of 100 countries that have planted the most trees in a year.

But trees are so much more than just a tool for human survival. The poet W. H. Auden wrote, “The trees encountered on a country stroll, reveal a lot about that country’s soul.”

The Japanese closeness to nature is expressed in the art of tree shaping. Whether through full grown trees or miniature bonsai, it is an homage to the essence of the kodama [spirit] of each tree — each with its own personality. It can, conversely, reflect the restraint that has also come to define Japanese society.

Whichever view one takes, trees are seen as an art form. A walk through woodlands must be done slowly, without hurry, with time to observe and absorb its beauty. The 170 trees that re-grew after the Hiroshima bomb, called hibaku jumoku [survivor trees], represent resilience — the return of life to a devastated city.

Across continents, religions and civilisations, trees have been given a stature which extends beyond just being tools for human survival

The English manage, rather than shape, their trees in accordance with their natural growth. They are valued as emblems of the nation’s history in the form of druid oaks, Sir Isaac Newton’s apple tree, a 1,000-year-old oak with a hollowed trunk, once even used as a tea room, and the remains of Betty Kenny, an old yew tree, said to have inspired the nursery rhyme Rock a Bye Baby.

The French control their trees into box shapes or pollarding, arranging them in rows, as a testament to a civilisation superior to, what Comte de Buffon called, the “savage nations”. Trees were cut, pruned and tended. This was to “testify everywhere that man has taken full control of that kingdom which God has allocated him for food and shelter,” said the 19th century scientist Antonio Stoppani.

The Pakistani nation inherited a number of magnificent trees, such as the 5,000-year-old juniper forest of Ziarat, Balochistan, the largest banyan tree on the banks of the Chenab river that has over one thousand roots and covers an area of about three acres — just a couple of acres short of the largest Banyan tree in the world in India.

President Ayub Khan sprayed tree seeds all over Islamabad’s Margalla Hills. Yet, trees are used mostly for fuel. Parveen Shakir laments, “Kal raat jo eendhan ke liye kat ke gira hai, chirryon ko bohat pyar tha is boorrhay shajar se.” [The birds loved the old tree that was cut down last night for fuel].

Many magnificent old trees of Lahore were ruthlessly chopped down for the Orange Line. Riverine forests of Sindh were destroyed to root out criminal gangs. And what can one say of the ghastly treatment meted out to trees in Karachi? Does survival take precedence over aesthetics? Perhaps Pakistan still views itself as a new country with little connection to history before 1947 and finds it difficult to envision a legacy for future generations.

Trees can have a lifespan several times greater than humans. Witness Trees is the name given to trees that have ‘seen’ history play out — from wars and political gatherings, to memories of childhood. Trees are seen as a symbol of wisdom and have inspired artists and poets. Allama Iqbal likens nationalism to a tree — “Millat ke saath ra’abta ustawar rakh, pewasta reh shajar se, umeed-e-bahar rakh!” [Keep strong communication with the nation, remain attached to the tree and have spring’s expectation!] Ancestry is described as a family tree or shajrah nasab.

The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge are symbols connecting humans to the Divine. Buddha achieved nirvana under a tree, Jesus addressed people from the Mount of Olives, the treaty of Sulay Hudaibiya was agreed upon in the shade of a tree. The Sahabi Tree in Jordan is said to be where the monk Bahira foretold the prophethood of the 12-year-old Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Heaven is defined as a garden, inspiring Islamic gardens with groves of fruit trees and flowing water. The furthest extent of the seventh heaven is marked by a tree called Sidrat al-Muntaha. Even hell has its tree of intense suffering, called Al Zaqqum. Islamic art, architecture and calligraphy reflect the growth patterns of plant forms. The early Islamic era created a green revolution, planting fruit-bearing and shade-providing trees in urban areas.

Tree-planting ceremonies are held all over the world. In 1794, in a pact to collectively defeat the British, Tipu Sultan planted a Liberty Tree to mark his allegiance to Bonaparte. The Christmas tree was introduced by the Germans in the 16th century, as evergreens are an ancient symbol of hope in winter.

Stalin established Garden Factories to create a dignified working space for labourers, with avenues of trees that not only kept the air clean but also provided a place for workers to rest, and fruit for their children. He had trees planted in the form of inspiring words that can be seen today via satellite images.

The development of pruning tools indicates the importance given to trees. While the transplanting of mature trees was documented in ancient Egypt and Greece, modern tree-climbing gear was adapted from mountain climbers and the chainsaw, invented in 1830 by a German orthopaedic surgeon, was adapted for tree pruning in the 1920s.

Most Pakistani gardeners have, unfortunately, not progressed beyond the axe.

Durriya Kazi is a Karachi-based artist.

She may be reached at durriyakazi1918@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, EOS, January 8th, 2023