Wisteria

Wisteria a hardy climber.  Seen here in the pretty purple colour.  There are many varieties and I do not know which one this is.. possibly the Wisteria floribunda - the Japanese Wisteria. Family: Fabaceae (Pea family)

They are said to grow vigorously and need to be controlled.  And the blooms seen here are really worth it.  The pictures here were taken of the flowers allowed to trail down the roof of the London Apprentice - the popular pub in Isleworth. For more info check this link

Korean Fir

The purple cones were what drew our attention to this marvelous tree.  Native of Korea, it grows well  at high altitudes,with abundant rain and snowfall and humid summers.  The foliage is pretty too. 

Picture taken at Benmore Gardens, Scotland.  You can see a lovely picture here at Aberdeen Gardening.

The cones are purple at maturity. They then disintegrate and winged seeds are released.

Botanical name - Abies Koreana

Foxglove

A short lived perennial plant.  Flowers are arranged in a showy elongated cluster.  The scientific name digitalis is because it is finger like and can be easily slipped over a finger tip.  There are many folklores attached to the flower. It is said that bad fairies gave these to the fox so that they could wear it to muffle the sound of their walk and thus spring on unsuspecting prey!

Botanical name: Digitalis purpurea    Family: Scrophulariaceae (Dog flower family)

Picture taken in Lake District UK by S and myself.



Seen in many hues of purple to gray to white.

Geranium

 

Common name: Cranesbill, Geranium



Deep magenta-purple flowers bloom early summer to autumn.  A very low and compact plant with rich green foliage.  In other colours too.  Bloom in Spring and Summer.  Flowers have five petals. They have beak like spring capsules which burst open to disperse the seeds.



Geraniums growing in my  S's apartment window in London.

Moss Verbena

The five petalled Verbena flowers are dainty and attractive.  This one is in purple.  I am told they are found in a few other colours too.  They have these nicely divided leaves giving the plant a delicate look.  Supposedly a no fuss plant they are ideal for ground cover.  They are used extensively in buterfly gardening, since the flower is a favourite of the winged creature.

Botanical name: Glandularia pulchella    Family: Verbenaceae (Verbena family)



Picture taken at Lodi Gardens, New Delhi

Jacaranda Tree

I love the purple-blue of the Jacaranda flower.  It is so soothing to the eye and the trees are so tall and lovely.

Common name: Blue Jacaranda • Hindi: Neeli gulmohur



Not native to India, but cultivated for ornamental purposes.  I read that if the tree receives too much water the leaves appear first and the beauty of the flower is lost!  After flowering, woody disc shaped seed pods appear.

This was photographed at Secunderabad Club. 

Botanical name: Jacaranda mimosifolia     Family: Bignoniaceae (jacaranda family)

Since the tree was tall and I could not take the picture of the flower at close quarters and till I get one sometime in future, I am putting up one from the www.flowersofindia.net here. ( seen below)

Sweet Pea

Annual climber.  Can be used to grow over bamboo trellis or just around the fence.

Some varieties are very fragrant.  Like this one which was photographed.  The stems are somewhat folded and the petals of the flower has been compared to that of a butterfly.  Seen in lovely colours of white, pink, purple.



Botanical name: Lathyrus odoratus    Family: Fabaceae (pea family)

Photographed at Lodi Gardens, New Delhi.

Cineraria

Flowers in white, pink, purple,sometimes with contrasting rings.  Very colourful.   Belonging to the sunflower family.

Botanical name: Pericallis x hybrida    Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)

Photographed in Lodi Gardens, New Delhi. 

Reference - flowersofindia.net

Silver Vase Bromeliad

Daiv of Cactiguide helped me identify this plant.

Aechmea fasciata is also known as the silver vase bromeliad. It is an epiphytic bromeliad which is native to Brazil. It has vase-shaped rosettes of silver-green leaves.  It is about 2 ft  tall, has silver-green leaves and an inflorescence made of pink bracts and tiny blue and red flowers. ( Almost looks like the matchstick flower that I saw at Mysore).  This plant is commonly grown indoors.

Picture taken at Nong Nooch Gardens, Thailand.

Info - http://www.silvervase.com and http://coolexotics.com

Moses in the Cradle - Rhoeo Dwarf

Common name: Moses in the Cradle, Oysterplant, Boatlily, Moses-in-a-boat

A succulent herb with cluster of 6-12 swordlike leaves arising from a trunk like stem.  The leaves are green on top and purple/violet  below. The small white three-petaled flowers are hidden purple bracts .

It is known as 'Nargis', in the city of Hyderabad!! Nargis, is associated with the eye in Persian, and it is thought that the name was given because the boat shaped bracts with the white flower in the middle looks like the eye.  Interesting!

Botanical name: Tradescantia spathacea    Family: Commelinaceae (Dayflower family)

Photographed at R's house, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad.

And the third picture on the left taken by Sa.

Periwinkle

Common name: Periwinkle, Vinca

A flower found growing all through the year.  It does not require too much care and can be seen growing on the roadside also.   They are found in many colours - white, red, purple, blue. 

Botanical name: Catharanthus roseus    Family: Apocynaceae (oleander family)

Flower found on a pathway, Jubilee Hills.

Water Hyacinth

Water hyacinth are a free-floating perennial aquatic plant native to tropical and sub-tropical South America.   They can be grown both outdoors and indoors.  They have free hanging purple roots that can be clearly seen if they are placed in glass containers.  Each flower has six petals and are lavender or pink in colour with a yellow dot.  

They grow thickly over lakes and were used to fool Japanese pilots in World War II, into thinking that the water bodies were fields and lead to crashes.  When not controlled they can lead to clogging of lakes and destroy aquatic life in the water.  It is now being used as organic feed.  In Assam, they are making eco friendly weaves out of water hyacinth.

Botanical name: Eichornia crassipes    Family: Pontederiaceae (pickerelweed family

Photographed at R's house at Jubilee Hills.

Common Crape Myrtle

Common Crape Myrtle is the smaller version of the Queen Crape Myrtle.  They are as short as 18 inches ( as this one) to as 40 feet.  The flowers are in shades of pink, purple and white.

Photographed at KBR Park, Hyderabad.

Botanical name: Lagerstroemia indica    Family: Lythraceae (Crape Myrtle family)



This one (below and to the right)  taken at Gun Rock Colony Secunderabad - August 2011.  I do not know if this is a Thorel's Crape Myrtle  or Tropical Crape Myrtle.  But aren't they so pretty!  Just love the purple and white.  So dainty.

Purple Fountain Grass

Common name: African fountain grass, Tender fountain grass, Fountain grass, Purple fountain grass
A nice ornamental grass.  Its swaying stalks - when grown in clusters can look very beautiful as they sway in the wind.

Can grown 3-4 feet tall.



Botanical name: Pennisetum setaceum     Family: Poaceae (Grass family)

Picture taken by Sa at Inorbit Mall, Hyderabad.

Queen Crape Myrtle

Atleast that is what I think this tree is!     Common name: Pride of India, Queen Crape Myrtle

This is blooming in the neighbourhood.  I took the picture the day I saw the first flower.  I should have taken it a few days later, when the tree was in bloom. 

The name crape ( I thought it was crepe?) - since the flowers seem as if they are made from crape paper - with its wrinkly, crinkly look. 

There is a postage stamp too - (source - Flowersofindia.net)

Botanical name: Lagerstroemia speciosa    Family: Lythraceae (Crape Myrtle family)

Allamanda

Common Name - Trumpet Vine

A tropical shrub or vine.  The genus is named after Dr. F. Allamand, a professor of Natural History. This plant is a native of Brazil.  It is a fast growing vine that needs to be trimmed.  It flowers almost all the year.  The leathery leaves are lancelike, pointed, and may either be opposite or in whorls of three or four. These are seen in different colours. 

Botanical name: Allamanda cathartica      Family: Apocynaceae (oleander family)

Purple Bauhinia

Common name: Butterfly tree, Pink butterfly tree, Purple bauhinia, Purple butterfly tree, Purple orchid tree



This tree was growing right outside my S-I-L's home at Sainikpuri, Secunderabad.   There was just this lone flower, apparently there were more few days ago.   

The Purple Orchid Tree is an exotic tropical tree with Orchid-like flowers of Bauhinia purpurea . The narrow purple, pink, and lavender petals are arranged to closely resemble an orchid. The flower colors vary.  Purple orchid tree can be easily distinguished from Orchid Tree (Bauhinia variegata) in that the petals of Purple orchid tree are narrower and do not overlap ( as in this picture) while the  the petals of Bauhinia variegata are broad and overlap. 

 The flowers are followed by 12-inch-long, slender, brown, flat seedpods ( I did not spot any here). The foliage is spade shaped and notched at the tip.  Bauhinia purpurea can reach up to 20 feet tall and have a 25 foot crown.

(Flowers of India)

Botanical name: Bauhinia purpurea      Family: Caesalpiniaceae (Gulmohar family)

Petunia

Petunias are trumpet shaped flowers seen in many patterns, are available in stripes, speckles and borders .  And many colours too.  With the exception of orange.  Leaves and stems are sticky to the touch and have a distinctive odor.

Botanical name: Petunia hybrida     Family: Solanaceae (potato family)

The lovely petunias were photographed in my S-I-L's  home at Sainikpuri, Secunderabad.