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)
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.
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.
