Nyctanthes arbor-tristis - The Indian Night Jasmine

Scientific name: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis

Common names: Arbor-Tritis, Night Jasmine, Lover's Tree, Tree of Sadness

Chinese name: 夜花茉莉 (ye hua mo li meaning night jasmine)

Kembang Seri Gading (Malay),
Parijat/Parijata (Hindi), Pavazhamalli (Tamil), Sephalika (Sanskrit), Siuli (Bengali)
Coral Jasmine (Philippines), Salikaa (Indo-China), Karanikaa (Thailand), Lai Tau (Vietnam)

Family: Oleaceae 

Origin: South Asia, India

Category: Shrub

Photo taken at: Ditch garden in my neighbourhood

Nyctanthes is derived from two Greek words 'nyx' (night) and 'anthos' (a flower) which collectively means night bloomer and arbor tristis in Latin, meaning Sad tree or dull coloured tree. (Reference book "Flowers of India" by DS Pandey and N.P. Singh).

How to grow 

Light : Full sun to partial shade

Soil : Moist, well-drain soil

Water : Moderate

Prune : For shape

Propagate : Seeds and stem cuttings

Features :
The highly scented flowers open only after sundown and fall off to the ground before sunrise the next morning. The fragrance is honey-sweet and intoxicating. The plant has medicinal properties and essential oils are extracted from the flowers. The flowers are sacred to Hindus and Buddhist and used as prayer offerings in temples and homes. Stories abound in Indian mythology about this flower. It is regarded as one of the 5 wish granting tree from heaven.