The Lovely Plants

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Archive for the ‘Medicinal Plants’ category

Colorful, Tropical Garden Shrub: The Mickey Mouse Plant

December 6th, 2011

Mickey Mouse plant is common name of Ochna Serrulata because of its beautiful shiny black and berry-like fruits. Ochna Serrulata produces narrow, elliptic leaves of glossy green texture enriched with new leaf growth of bright red color making it a nice ornamental plant. Mickey Mouse plant grows as shrublet sometimes growing into a small tree and performs very well as flowering hedge.

Ochna Serrulata, The Mickey Mouse Plant

Ochna Serrulata like most of species of its genus produces bright yellow flowers in spring followed by fruition. Most of the species are deciduous plants and prefer sunny spot where they are protected from heavy frost. Though not fussy about soil, Mickey Mouse plant produces rich foliage and blooms when fed properly in a sunny or semi-shaded spot.

Fruit of Mickey Mouse plant is known to be used for medicinal purposes by Zulu people.

Another popular species is Ochna Pulchra which is known for its yellow, fragrant flowers and lovely growth of new foliage that changes colors from pink, red and green.

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Posted in Deciduous, Flowers, Medicinal Plants, Outdoor, Shrubs and Bushes, Zone 10a, Zone 10b, Zone 11, Zone 9b

Tags: Mickey Mouse Plant Ochna Serrulata

Aromatic Tropical Tree: Vitex Trifolia ‘Arabian Lilac’

November 30th, 2011

Vitex Trifolia, often described as Arabian Lilac, is a beautiful and strongly aromatic small tree from tropical regions of Australia and Asia especially Pakistan and India. The plant forms attractive accent plant for gardens both as hedge or small ornamental tree where they can be easily propagated from cuttings or layers.

Vitex Trifolia, The Arabian Lilac, Image by Ahmad Fuad Morad

The plant does not have any special requirements and would grow almost in any soil when it receives moderate water and protected from long spells of freeze and frost. Besides its ability to provide attractive and aromatic foliage and flowers, Vitex Trifolia is also used in preparation of traditional medicine for arthritis, inflammations, dysentery, and ulcers.

Depending on growing conditions, Vitex Trifolia can grow quite quickly. Young plants have bushy growth however it eventually grows into a small tree up to 6 meters. Mature plants produce fragrant spikes of yellow, white, red, blue or purple flowers in later summer. If you are looking for a small tree for shade and breaking the wind, Vitex Trifolia would perform very well with bonus of fragrant foliage and flowers. It is also a good choice for embankments or as street plant where it would last longer without requiring much care.

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Posted in Drought Tolerant Plants, Flowers, Medicinal Plants, Outdoor, Zone 10a, Zone 10b, Zone 9a, Zone 9b

Tags: Arabian Lilac Vitex Trifolia

Lovely, Aromatic Plants for your Herb Garden: Camomile

November 16th, 2011

Anthemis is a genus of annuals and perennials forming dense clumps of flowering feathery and aromatic leaves. Usually grown for summer flowering, Anthemis are nice plants for garden beds, borders or empty spaces in gardens and landscapes.

Camomile Flowers, Image by Lynne (flickr)

Popular species include Anthemis Tinctoria which is a busy annual with golden yellow flowers and Anthemis Cupaniana which is a profuse summer bloomer with ‘cushion-forming’ white flowers. It is also known as Camomile and is used in traditional herbal medicine. The plant grows up to 1 meter and forms large clusters. Both flowers and leaves are used in herbal tea for soothing effects. Flowers can also be used in cut flower arrangements.

Most species of Anthemis grow in ordinary but well-drained soil under bright sunlight. These plants propagate from divisions and require moderate watering.

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Posted in Drought Tolerant Plants, Medicinal Plants, Perennials, Zone 10a, Zone 10b, Zone 5a, Zone 5b, Zone 6a, Zone 6b, Zone 7a, Zone 7b, Zone 8a, Zone 8b, Zone 9a, Zone 9b

Tags: Anthemis Cupaniana Camomile

Lovely Shrubs for Your Garden: Euonymus

September 24th, 2011

If you are looking for hardy, versatile and lovely shrubs for your garden, look no further. Try Euonymus; it is a genus of lovely and versatile shrubs and small trees. It comes in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. Both evergreen and deciduous species of Euonymus are available for gardens as well as container gardening. From more than 170 species of Euonymus, there are plenty of choices. They can be grown as border plants, hedges, small foliage plants and some as ground covers.

Most species of Euonymus offer glossy evergreen foliage, conspicuous blooms and ornamental fruition. Originally native to south Asia, Australia and Madagascar, Euonymus has been successfully grown in almost all parts of the world as ornamental plants. Some of the species have medicinal benefits whereas some have been used traditionally for making wooden spindles for the textile industry. That is why Euonymus is commonly described as ‘Spindle Tree’.

Euonymus Japonica

From many popular species, Euonymus Japonica is perhaps the most popular and widely grown plant. It is quite hardy and easy to grow. This shrubby plant can be pruned easily for growing as border plant, shrub or topiary shapes. Euonymus Japonica grows as evergreen shrub up to 5 meters and bears glossy green leaves. Flowers are insignificant but fruits (showy pink berries usually produced in autumn) are attractive. There are several variegated species of Euonymus Japonica available at nurseries.

Euonymus Japonica, Spindle Tree, Image by John (Puzzler4879@flickr)

How to grow Euonymus Japonica

Euonymus Japonica is capable of growing in many different conditions without much fuss. It can tolerate poor soil and light conditions. The best place for Euonymus Japonica is a well-lit spot where it receives full or filtered sunlight for most time of the day. Water moderately; do not overwater (young plants, however, require moist soil). Propagation is easy from cuttings.

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Posted in Evergreen, Foliage Plant, Ground Cover, Medicinal Plants, Shrubs and Bushes, Zone 10a, Zone 10b, Zone 11, Zone 6b, Zone 7a, Zone 7b, Zone 8a, Zone 8b, Zone 9a, Zone 9b

Tags: Euonymus Euonymus Japonica Spindle Tree

Butea Monosperma: Flame of the Forest

September 22nd, 2011

Butea Monosperma or Flame of the Forest is a mid-sized tree from tropical and sub-tropical regions of South East Asia especially Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and farther across Thailand, Myanmar and Indonesia. Irregular branching habit, racemes of large bright orange-red flowers and pinnate leaves are typical characteristics of this beautiful tree.

Butea Monosperma usually grows as a mid-sized tree (up to 12 meters) and bears soft velvety leaves of bronze green color. Old leaves feel stiff and leathery. The tree sheds most of its leaves in winter to exposes branches. However, spring season brings foliage and abundance of flaming red-orange flowers that stand out in any landscape for their unusual shape and bright colors justifying the name ‘Flame of the Forest’. These bright and unusual flowers attract birds and butterflies that act as pollinating agents.

Butea Monosperma, Flame of the Forest

Butea Monosperma is useful not only for ornamental purposes but also for its timber and medicinal benefits. The wood is soft and durable under water. Flowers are used to extract dyes whereas the gum excreted by stems is used by druggists in herbal medicine for its astringent qualities.

How to grow Butea Monosperma

Butea Monosperma or Flame of the Forest is a good choice for gardens as it does not grow vigorously and makes a mid-sized tree that can be pruned easily to manage space. Flame of the Forest prefers good exposure to sun and moderate watering.