Common name: Pink Ball, Dombeya, Tropical Hydrangea • Bengali: Domrupani ডম্রুপানী
Botanical name: Dombeya wallichii Family: Malvaceae (Mallow family) Synonyms: Astrapaea wallichii
The Pink-Ball Dombeya is a small tree with large heart-shaped, toothed
leaves and dense heads of little pink flowers which hang from foot long stalks.
When in bloom, the tree looks spectacular, with large, pendant, pink hanging
flower balls. The tree, native to Madagascar, can grow up to 20 feet tall,
but is widely grown as a large garden shrub. Leaves are heart-shaped, 4-8
inches long, 2-4 inches wide.
It is cultivated for its beautiful pendulous deep pink flower-balls.
The name is in honor of Joseph Dombay, a French medical man and botanist who
made extensive plant collections in Peru and Chile. D. wallichii is a
broad-headed tree growing up to 30 feet. It has heart shaped toothed leaves up
to 12 inches long with pointed tips. Leaves have fine hairs on the underside.
The blooms of this plant have a pleasant fragrance, almost like caramel corn.
Flowering: March-May.
| Photographed in Delhi and Gangtok, Sikkim. |
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