Feature Video: A Seedy Love Story

Getting The Story

By Katlyn

It was 9.30 am in the morning when our group met at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station.

We went straight from the MRT station to Fort Canning Park to hunt for the saga tree there as well as potential interviewees.

At the park's visitor center, all the staffs were out for some important event, and thus we were unable to get an interview.

Unwilling to give up so easily, we went to look for our tree.

We were fortunate enough to get an interview just next to the Saga tree, and after some picture taking and videoing, we head to our next destination - the Singapore Botanic Garden.

The weather took a turn for the worst when it starts to pour heavily.

We managed to reach the visitor center, but once again, we were unable to catch hold of any staff who was willing to give us an interview.

It was not all for naught though, as the rain soon stopped, and we got to take some pictures and collect some saga seeds.

After we are done, we decided to go back and get our parents and relatives who have experience with the Saga seeds to give us an interview instead.

The Legend behind the Saga Seeds

By Rachel

Legend has it that there was a great war in a certain country, and a brave man has to leave his wife behind to defend his homeland.

The wife sat on top of a mountain, and cried as she prayed for the safe return of her loved one.

However, he never returned.

Day after day she cried, until her tears ran dry.

She started to cry blood in place of tears, and these drops of blood became red coloured seeds as they fell onto the earth.

These seeds grew into huge trees full of fruits with the same beautiful red seeds.

The seeds were then known as the “remembrance beans”, as they represent the wife reminiscing of her time with her husband and her longing for him to return.

This leads to the formerly popular tradition in Singapore, where people give a bottle full of saga seeds to their beloved other half, especially when the latter is going for distant trips.

Extra Information

By G. T.

Common Name: Saga Tree

Other Names: Red Bean Tree; Red Sandalwood; Remembrance Bean Tree

Botanical Name: Adenanthera pavonina

Family: Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

Main Features

- Medium-sized deciduous tree which grows up to 15 to 20m tall.

- Spreading rounded crown which grows up to 30m.

- Compound bipinnate leaves which turn from yellow to green as it ages. Leaves are shed every 6 to 8 months.

- Tiny creamy-yellow star-shaped flowers with drooping rat-tail like flower heads and five petals each.

- Fruits are in the form of curved hanging green pods that will turn brown, coil up and split open to reveal small bright red seeds when they ripen.

General Information

- A hardy, fast-growing and low-maintenance tree.

- Native to southern China and India.

- Grows best in neutral to slightly acidic soils.

- Useful as shade, and also acts as an ornamental tree.

Uses

- Leaves can be cooked and eaten.

- Raw seeds are toxic and can cause intoxication, but are edible (and rich in protein and oil) after cooking.

- Seeds can be used as weight measure, in particular for gold and silver.

- Seeds can also be used to make necklaces.

- The oil produced by grounded seeds can be used as an industrial lubricant.

- Wood can be used to make houses, furnitures and cabinetry.

- Wood can also be used as firewood, as it burns well.

- Red Dye obtained from the wood is used by Hindu Brahmins to make religious markings on their foreheads.

- Can be planted as "nurse trees" in coffee, rubber and clove plantations.

- Red Powder from grinding the wood can be used as an antiseptic paste.

- Grounded seeds can be used to treat boils and inflammations.

- Decoction of the leaves can be used to treat rheumatism and gout.

- Bark can be used to wash hair.

- The entire tree can help fix nitrogen levels and rejuvenate soils.

Interesting Information

- The red seeds are relatively uniform in size and weight, with 4 seeds weighing 1 gram. Thus, they were also widely used as weight measures in the past.

- Malaysia's national car, Proton Saga, is named after the Saga tree.

- The Saga tree is a heritage tree in Singapore.

- The Saga tree is removed from roadsides and other areas mainly because it is susceptible to damage in strong winds and has a tendency to become untidy with age.

- The name "Saga" is linked to the Arabic term for "goldsmith".

Background Information

By G. T.

In the 1950's to the 1980's, the saga seeds were a favourite among Singaporeans.

For children, the seeds are collected and used as game pieces in the game known as 'saga'.

For parents, the seeds can be sewn into bolsters or bean bags for their children to hug when they sleep.

For teenagers and young adults, the seeds carry a deeper meaning - Whenever their loved ones are going away on a distance trip, they will prepare a bottle of saga seeds to represent their love for the other half, and also to symbolise their in-separateness.

However, in recent years, these trends have started to die out.

Part of it could be blamed on the availability of online games and cheap bolsters; but more importantly, the saga tree and its seeds are disappearing in Singapore.

In our coverage, we will look for the elusive saga tree and its seeds, and also interview some of the older folks to have them share with us what they know about the saga seeds.

Getting There

By G. T.

For those who are not driving and are planning to go to the Singapore Botanic Gardens or Fort Canning Park, here are the public transports which you can take:

Singapore Botanic Gardens:

By Bus

Via Holland Road:
SBS Transit 7, 105, 123, 174
SMRT 75, 77, 106

Via Bukit Timah Road:
SBS Transit 48, 66, 151, 153, 154, 156, 170
SMRT 67, 171

Fort Canning Park:

By MRT

Get off at:

Bras Basah, Dhoby Ghaut, Clarke Quay or Dhoby Ghaut Station.

By Bus

Via Stamford Road:

SBS 7, 14, 16, 36, 111, 124, 128, 131, 147, 162, 162M, 166, 174, 175

TIBS 77, 106, 167, 171, 190, 700, 700A, 857
Fast Forward 14e, 174e

Express 502

Nite Rider NR7

Via Penang Road:

SBS 7, 14, 14A,16, 36, 36A, 65, 111, 124, 128, 162, 162M, 166, 174, 175

TIBS 77, 106, 167, 171, 190, 700, 700A, 857
Fast Forward 14e, 174e
Express 502

Nite Rider NR6, NR7

Via Hill Street:

SBS 124, 145, 147, 166, 174

TIBS 190, 851

Via River Valley Road:

SBS 32, 54, 195

Nite Rider 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8
Premium 530

Contact

By G. T.

If you have any burning questions or queries, feel free to contact Katlyn at:

katlyn.sea-struct@hotmail.com

The following are useful contacts for those who are interested in finding more information on the Saga Trees at the Singapore Botanic Gardens and Fort Canning Park:

General Information for Singapore Botanic Gardens

Address: Singapore Botanic Gardens
1 Cluny Road
Singapore 259569

Tel: (65) 6471 7138 / (65) 6471 7361
Fax: (65) 6473 7983
E-mail: NPARKS_SBG_Visitor_Services@NPARKS.GOV.SG

General Information for Fort Canning Park

National Parks Board HQ
1 Cluny Road
Singapore 259569
(Location is adjacent to Nassim Road)

Helpline Number: 1800-471 7300 (Toll-free)
Fax: 6472 3033
Email: NPARKS_MAILBOX@NPARKS.GOV.SG