One such pocket is a piece of land in Lengkok Burmah, just opposite Jalan Raja Gopal, which has become another of Penang’s popular chiu jang khar or “under the trees” eateries.

Though the tree appeared to be thriving, its phloem, the fibrous layer under the bark that transports ... now dead—a blow to grizzly bears, which eat the seeds in autumn, and to Clark’s ...