Fifty-seven trees across Chennai, each estimated to be more than a century old, have been scientifically checked and documented under the state’s heritage tree project, according to a Green Tamil Nadu Mission document. Of the 47 whose health was graded, 24 were rated excellent, 12 good, 10 moderate and one critical. The list runs from a baobab at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital to a tamarind on Pondicherry Road in Kotturpuram.
The project is meant to lead to a formal heritage status for old trees, with protection to match. That status does not exist yet: the mission says a heritage tree framework has been drafted and is under consideration by the State Green Committee. Here is how the trees were picked, which ones made the list, and where you can see them.
How the trees were chosen
The work was done in two phases, the mission document says.
- Phase I: The Chennai forest division, with field help from the Nizhal Trust, shortlisted 40 trees for girth, canopy spread, apparent age, historical links and landmark value.
- Phase II: The mission surveyed old schools, colleges, temples, churches and public institutions and added 17 more.
- Scientific checks: The Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore, verified species, measured girth and height and estimated age, and the Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Bengaluru, used electrical resistivity tomography to look for decay inside trunks.
A wider June 2025 announcement by the Chennai forest division said 104 trees in the city qualified as heritage trees, in a survey with botanist Prof D. Narasimhan and the Nizhal Trust, IANS reported. The 57 in the mission document are the ones that went through detailed assessment.
Some of the oldest and biggest
| Tree | Where | Girth | Estimated age |
|---|---|---|---|
| African baobab | Rajiv Gandhi Govt General Hospital | 10.7 m | Over 200 years |
| African baobab | Andhra Mahila Sabha, Adyar | not given | 239 to 292 years |
| Ceylon tea tree | Stella Maris College | 6 m | Over 200 years |
| Neem | Teacher Training Institute, Saidapet | 5.65 m | 126 to 155 years |
| Arjun | Villivakkam railway station | 3.45 m | 203 to 248 years |
| Sandbox (dynamite) tree | Roja Muthiah Research Library, Taramani | 3.22 m | 189 to 232 years |
| Tamarind | Pondicherry Road, Kotturpuram | 4.45 m | Over 200 years |
All figures are from the mission document. The sandbox tree at Taramani is also among the tallest, at 41 metres. Several institutions have more than one entry: the Government Museum at Egmore has mahogany and button trees, the MLA Hostel has two arjuns, and IIT Madras has a neem, a vanni tree and a mahogany.
Trees with a story
- Temple trees. Vanni trees (Prosopis cineraria) stand at the Marundeeswarar temple in Thiruvanmiyur and the Soundareswarar temple in Saidapet. The Thiruvanmiyur tree scored only 20 per cent in the health check, the lowest among those graded.
- Freshwater mangroves on city streets. Two Barringtonia acutangula trees, a species that normally grows by water, appear at Luz Church Road in Mylapore and at May Day Park in Chintadripet.
- Forest giants in Guindy. Guindy National Park contributes a mahua, a jamun and an Indian blackwood.
- The big banyan. The Forest Department’s statewide book Heritage Trees of Tamilnadu lists 50 trees, among them the Adyar banyan at the Theosophical Society, the rain tree, cannonball tree and mahogany at the Egmore museum, and a red sanders at Madras Christian College, Tambaram.
The health scores are a warning as much as a record. Several trees on busy sites, including the mahogany at the Ramanujan Computing Centre in Guindy and the arjuns at the MLA Hostel, scored 50 per cent, a sign of decay, root damage or past lopping. The resistivity scans were used to judge how much sound wood remains inside such trunks.
Seeing them, and protecting them
Many of these trees are on campuses, hospitals and temple grounds, so access depends on the institution. Street trees like the Kotturpuram tamarind or the Mylapore Barringtonia can be seen from the road. Admire them without nailing, tying or lighting anything on the trunk, and without piling soil or concrete around the base, which is what most often kills old city trees.
If you see a large old tree being cut or badly damaged, the Green Tamil Nadu Mission lists a helpline, 1800-599-7634, for reporting tree felling, according to its website. The heritage list also feeds plans for signboards, a public database and awareness campaigns in schools, IANS reported.
Quick answers
How many heritage trees has Chennai identified?
The Chennai forest division identified 104 in 2025; 57 have been scientifically assessed and documented by the Green Tamil Nadu Mission.
Is there legal heritage tree status in Tamil Nadu?
Not yet. A framework has been drafted and is with the State Green Committee.
Which is the oldest tree on the list?
The Adyar baobab at Andhra Mahila Sabha is estimated at 239 to 292 years, among the oldest assessed.
Whom do I call if a heritage tree is being cut?
The Green Tamil Nadu Mission helpline, 1800-599-7634.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Heritage tree identification in Chennai: 100-year-old trees of Chennai at a glance (Green Tamil Nadu Mission)
- Heritage Trees of Tamilnadu (TN Forest Department, via TN Biodiversity Board)
- Chennai launches ‘Heritage Trees’ initiative to protect rare, endangered species (IANS, via Morung Express)
- Green Tamil Nadu Mission (Government of Tamil Nadu)
