More photos of periwinkle, a versatile medicinal plant

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Health, Gardening: Periwinkle, a wonder plant

Photos by me from Olavipe. Copyright reserved.

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Kerala photos: Leaves from Olavipe

Photos by me. Copyright reserved. Click to enlarge.

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Photos: Leaves by Isaac

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Gardening: Hibiscus, the Queen of Shrubs

Hibiscus is among the most stunning flowers in the world. Originally a native of Asia, it has spread to many countries. There are numerous varieties of hibiscus, with flowers of many hues, and petal arrangements like single, double and curlers which do not open fully. The size of the blooms can be anywhere from 2” to 10” in diameter.

The plant can be propagated from cuttings or seeds. Depending on the type, they grow from one foot height to shrubs and even trees. They are planted in gardens, as hedges, and for landscaping. A planned grove of hibiscus with flowers of different colors is an enchanting sight.

Almost all parts of hibiscus are useful. They have several medicinal properties. The famous karkade or hibiscus tea is considered invigorating. Excellent jams and squashes can be made from the flowers. Dried hibiscus flowers are delicacies in some countries. A shampoo made by wet grinding the flowers is considered to be very good for the hair

and cooling the head. The blooms can also be used for polishing shoes; perhaps that is the reason for the name ‘shoe flower’.

Some of the grass skirts the Polynesian ladies wear are made of the fibers obtained from the bark of the hibiscus plants. Hibiscus roots too have medicinal properties and are believed to cure different ailments.

Wouldn’t you like to grow these beauties? It is simple. Hibiscus grows best in easy draining soil with plenty of sunlight. Once the plant catches on hardly any care is required. Seasonal pruning can increase the number of flowers.

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Also see: Health, Gardening: Periwinkle, a wonder plant

Photos: Olavipe blooms

Photos (copyright reserved) by me .
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Flowers: Olavipe blooms

Gardening: More photos of Kerala flowers

These photos are from Olavipe, taken earlier this month.










Photos by Abraham Tharakan. Copyright reserved.

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Photographs: Ixora Coccinea flowers

Photos: Lilies that grow in Kerala

Kerala Flowers?

Karthiki captures some Olavipe flowers

Health, Gardening: Periwinkle, a wonder plant

Most of you would have seen the flowers shown on the left. It is periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus/ Vinca rosea), which belongs to the myrtle family. In Hindi the plant is called sadabahar, meaning ‘always in bloom’. The periwinkle flowers come in different colors. The plants grow wild in tropical areas. Now they are cultivated commercially because of their medicinal properties.

Interestingly, during the Middle Ages periwinkle was an essential ingredient in many magic potions. It was believed to have the power to dispel evil spirits. Consequently, the periwinkle plant with purple flowers was called by Europeans ‘sorcerer’s violet!

The pharmaceutical industry started discovering the value of periwinkle for treating several ailments only from the 1950s though it had been used in folk medicine in several countries for centuries. The reported medicinal qualities of periwinkle run into a long list. Here are some of them:

chemotherapy treatments for leukemia and Hodgkin's disease, managing blood pressure, diabetes, wasp stings, excessive bleeding, depression of central nervous system, circulatory disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, cold, cough, lung congestion and inflammation and sore throat, eye irritation and infections, digestive problems, muscle pain, wasp stings, eczema, and as tranquilizer and astringent. A warning: do not try any self medication with periwinkle.

Periwinkle is a good, easy to manage garden plant as well. It can be germinated from seeds, or cuttings can be planted. Sunlight or partial shade is required for proper growth. From our experience at Olavipe, the best planting distance is about two feet. It is drought resistant. The plant can grow up to three feet in height. Proper mixing of different colors, or clusters of single color, can have a stunning effect. Here are some photos of periwinkle from Olavipe :

Photos by me. Click on them for enlarged view.

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

An orchid from Olavipe

I am particularly proud of this photo which I took at Olavipe last month. The credit for it, however, goes to the idiot proof camera that I used to shoot it.

Two orchids like the one in the picture were found on the rotten branch of an ancient mango tree near our western gate. No idea how old the tree is. Several of its branches had been cut down for cremating some of our Hindu neighbours when they died. But this one broke and fell down.

How and from where did the orchids come on the tree? None of us has seen an orchid of this type anywhere in the area. Anyway, since the plants were found on a tree, they are epiphytes. An epiphyte anchors on to trees or shrubs, and according to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, “derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain”. This means that they are not parasites.They grow mostly in tropical forests.

Out of the many species of orchids (estimated number 25000 to 50000) , a major portion are epiphytes. The other type is terrestrial which root in soil. There are two more categories, lithophytes which grow on rocky terrain and saprophytes (mycoheterotrophs) which thrive on decaying plant matter. A photo of a terrestrial orchid, also taken by me at Olavipe, is given below:

The size of orchid plants, depending on the species, can be anywhere from tiny to several feet in height. The general impression is that they grow only in the tropics. This is not correct. Orchids can be found in most parts of the world. Some of them however are endemic; they are seen only in a particular region. Many new species are being created on a continuing basis by cross pollination. Quite a few of such orchids are very popular.

Orchids are commercially important, essentially for the flowers. That is big business. The vanilla genus is a perennial favorite as food flavouring. A powder, made by grinding the tubers of certain terrestrial orchids is also used in cooking. Perfumers keep checking the scent of the orchids for possible use in cosmetics.

Coming back to the Olavipe orchid, we have made the aerial genus into a terrestrial one by potting it. Orchids are said to have enough adaptability for such conversion. I hope this is true.

Orchids are the prettiest among all flowers. The very word orchid is synonymous with exotic beauty. They may be rather fussy to cultivate, but the effort is truly worthwhile.

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Also see: Photos: Electric blue flowers