Fair trade trees

Greenify UF sold a fantastic 64 trees at their school fair-trade Christmas Fair - which will go towards restoring forest cover and providing essential habitat for Sri Lanka's endangered species.

The trees we are going to plant all have special properties...

The bark from Hal trees (Vateria copallifera) can be used to arrest fermentation, its fruits and flowers are edible and the resin makes a good varnish.

Dorana (Dipterocarpus glandulosus) produces a special oily resin. It is believed this resin was mixed with the paints used for Sigiriya’s Fresco’s - which has kept them as colourful today as when they were first painted over 4,000 years ago.

Na (Mesua Nagassarium) is the national tree of Sri Lanka. The whole plant is medicinal, pollen and seeds can be made into an ointment and put on the skin to help heal broken bones. Its flowers are also used in temple offerings.

Nawada (Shorea stipularis) has special resin that can be used for incense and the bark stops fermentation.

And last but not least, the gum from Hora trees (Dipterocarpus zeylanicus) is used in traditional medicine.

But most importantly, these trees provide a home for rainforest animals.