Photos: Hibiscus, Red and White

Photos from Olavaipe.

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Photos: Queen of the night

Mrs. Mary Michael was kind enough to send me these photos of Nishagandhi flowers which bloomed in her residence at Peermade, Kerala. Lovely, aren't they?

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Related posts:

Visit of a queen

Photos: Flowers from Peermade

New hibiscus photos

For details about hibiscus, please visit

Gardening: Hibiscus, the Queen of Shrubs

All photos from Olavipe by Rejo.

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Gardening photos: Flowers from Olavipe

Photos from Olavipe by Rejo, AT. Copyright reserved.
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Also see:
Flowers: Olavipe blooms

Kerala photos: Plants, flowers

Heliconia

Ixora coccinea (Rubiaceae

Sapota?

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Ivy gourd (Kovakka)

Photos from Olavipe by me.
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Also see:

Kerala Photos: Sun shines on Olavipe

Fragrance in the air, medicine on the ground

Ylang Ylang (cananga odorata) is a nice tree to have near a house. The fragrance of the greenish yellow flowers is so rich and deep and exotic and lingers in the air for a long time.

Ylang Ylang is considered to be a native of Malaysia and Indonesia, but one can find them at many places in the tropics. We have one at Olavipe which is on coastal Kerala. It is a spindly tree that grows very fast and reaches a height of 40 ft. or more. Propagation is by seeds.

The ylang ylang flowers are widely used in the cosmetic industry. They also have an important role in aromatherapy because of the medicinal properties. The range includes use as aphrodisiac and treatment of sexual problems, stress reduction, digestive problems, palpitation and abnormally fast breathing, healing wounds, emotional stability and so on. It is a long list.

The image reproduced above is from Wikimedia. Here are some photographs of Ylang Ylang I took at Olavipe. Copyright reserved. Click on them to enlarge.

Also see:

Jasmine (Jasminum): Flowers for beauty and for money

Health, Gardening: Periwinkle, a wonder plant

Ixora coccinea (Rubiaceae) - flowers that gods and men love

More Kerala flowers

Photos by me from Olavipe. Copyright reserved.
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Also see:

Photos: Flowers from Kerala again

Kerala photos: Flowers for Onam

Photos by me. Copyright reserved.
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Visit of a queen

The vigil started at sunset. The four of us – two of the cousins, Paul and Johnny, my brother Jacob, and I – sat on the front veranda, Thekkanattu Parayil., Olavipe, glancing often at a lone plant on the courtyard with great anticipation.

We were waiting for the first bud of the night-blooming Cerus plant to open. It is a rare plant that flowers once in twelve months and only around midnight. The blooms are on the leaves and survive only for a few hours.

The flower is generally known as Nishagandhi in India. The common names include ‘Queen of the Night’. It belongs to the cactus family and grows indoors or outdoors. The leaves are normally planted to propagate the plant.

I had taken the following photo of the bud two days earlier:

The boy who was attending to us would inspect it at regular intervals to see if it had started opening. At about 8.30 pm he gave us the good news. Then I took a series of pictures:

At full bloom the queen looks stunning. The Japanese name for the flower is so appropriate – Gekka Bijin, which means ‘Beautiful Woman Under the Moon’. There was an exotic fragrance as though she was wearing a subtle perfume.

At her moment of glory the queen didn’t know that her life was only for a few short hours. By morning it was like what Omar Khayyam said in the Rubaiyat: ‘Like dew upon the desert’s dusty face lighting an hour or two is gone’. Here is the picture:

But the cycle does not end. In the photo you can see a small bud on the leaf on the right.

Life goes on.

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Click on photos to enlarge. Copyright reserved.

Also see: Gardening: More photos of Kerala flowers