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 ative |
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Common name: Pagoda flower
Botanical name: Clerodendrum paniculatum Family: Verbenaceae (verbena family)
Pagoda flower is an erect, open semiwoody shrub with large evergreen leaves
and huge showy clusters of orange-red or scarlet flowers held above the
foliage. The bush sometimes has multiple stems and gets 3-5 ft
tall, spreading 2-3 ft across. The leaves have heart shaped bases;
lower leaves are lobed and upper leaves entire. The handsome
leaves can be as large as 12 in across. They are arranged in
opposite pairs along the fast growing stems which often branch from the roots
rather than from a single trunk. The flowers are funnel shaped with long
tubes. Although the individual flowers are only about 0.5 in long,
they are arranged in massive terminal panicles up to 1 ft or more in
height. The flowers within the pyramid shaped cluster are tiered, like a
Japanese pagoda. The showy display lasts from summer through autumn with
additional sporadic flowering throughout the year in frost free climates.
Pagoda flower is native to India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and much of southeastern
Asia. It is widely cultivated in tropical gardens throughout the world.
| Photographed in
Devgad, Maharashtra |
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