Ch'hala tree
As part of Delta Source, the Ch'hala trees on Coruscant were utilized. A tree species known as the ch'hala tree originated on the planet of Cularin.
Description
A significant element of the native Tarasin's religion, the ch'hala tree was a striking plant located on Cularin, despite their assertions that the trees did not originate there. The Cularin Compact of 154 BBY prohibited harvesting the wood; only naturally deceased trees could be felled. Aromatic tea was created by crushing the roots. Republic gardens on Coruscant frequently featured it, and it was particularly cherished by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. The tree's bark had a pigmentation that reacted to pressure, including sound waves, causing the tree to frequently change color and pattern in response to sounds.
History
In 31 BBY, Caarite laborers were used by the Metatheran Cartel to secretly cut down a number of ch'hala trees on Cularin. The newly formed Cularin resistance learned of this, but they withheld the information from their Tarasin allies because the Tarasin would have started a fanatical bloodbath against the Cartel, which the resistance wanted to avoid.
Jedi Master Shaak Ti received a grove of ch'hala trees from Palpatine in appreciation for her valiant efforts in defending the Galactic Republic. Shaak Ti gave the grove to the Jedi Temple, where it was prominently displayed for all Jedi to enjoy.
The trees on Cularin were, in reality, all interconnected beneath the soil and constituted a single organism. Wyrd made an unsuccessful attempt in 19 BBY to corrupt the tree with the dark side of the Force in order to seize control of the Cularin ecology.
Palpatine had a number of these trees erected all across the Imperial Palace, notably in the Grand Corridor, during the Galactic Empire's reign.
These trees, which were planted throughout Coruscant, were a crucial component of a complex espionage network known as Delta Source, which Palpatine employed to keep an eye on his officers and courtiers.
Years later, Grand Admiral Thrawn utilized the same tree system to glean crucial knowledge about the operations of the New Republic Senate, which included crucial details regarding impending military operations.
It was discovered that the trees' taproots concealed a tube with sampling leads branching out from them. Chemical changes in the bark would be triggered by pressure on the tree's trunk, such as from sound waves or a stray hand. The chemical data was translated into speech patterns by a module on the taproot, and another module transmitted the data. The system's organic nature made it undetectable by the majority of sensor sweeps. This is why Delta Source went undiscovered for such a long time.
The trees were dug up after the incident.