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Let your garden bloom
CLERODENDRUM PANICULATUM, belonging to the Verbenaceae family, is popularly known as the Pagoda Flower, because of its peculiar shape. A native of South-East Asia, the tall woody shrub has large, glossy three-lobed leaves, and grows up to nine feet tall.
The reddish-orange flowers appear at the top of the plant, each flower about 1.5 cm wide, with long stamens. These flowers are arranged around a spike, in conical form. The flowers have no fragrance at all, but still attract a number of butterflies. The flowers remain fresh for several weeks.
There is also a creamy white Pagoda flower that looks attractive with its dark leaves off-setting the cream colour of the blooms. Easily grown, the plant can be commonly seen along the country roads of Goa, Karnataka and northern Kerala and all over South East Asia.
In Karnataka, the flower is called the `aarthi' flower as its shape is similar to that of the `aarthi' lamps with oil wicks that are used in temples for worship.
Water lily
BELONGING TO the Nymphaeceae family, the water lily is a superb aquatic flowering plant. The flowers come in a variety of colours. Water lily is a day and night blooming species.
Typical lilies belong to three groups - the Egyptian Lotus, with large, pink, white or crimson flowers, the Cape Blue water lily with fragrant blue/mauve flowers, and the yellow water lily (Mexicana), which has small flowers in varied shades of yellow.
But perhaps the best of the species is the amazing Victoria amazonica, from Brazil, the Amazon Lily. The largest of the water lilies, with ribbed leaves that grow easily up to almost a metre in diameter, looks spectacular because of its unusual foliage. The leaves sit on the water surface like giant eating plates, stretching out across the expanse of a water body. The huge fragrant flowers are white when they open at dusk, and slowly become pink through the next day.
Small lilies can easily be grown in tubs or ponds in average-sized gardens. They lend a tranquil touch to a landscape.
RUPA GOPAL
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