Shiuli Phool
These beautiful, mysterious flowers of Harsingar primarily bloom at night and falls down as soon as the first rays of sun hit. Parijatham Flowers are fragrant and spread a sweet aroma in the surrounding. Shiuli Phool has religious significance in the Hindu religion and is therefore considered sacred. According to folklore, a princess ‘Parijataka’, who was in love with the Sun tried to win the heart of the Sun. When he rejected her, she committed suicide and a tree sprung from her ashes. Unable to stand the sight of her lover, the Parijat tree flowers only at night and sheds them like tear drops before the sun rises. We also have the plant with variagated parijatham leaf.
The Night blooming Jasmine plants are used as a source of yellow dye for clothing. The plant finds its use in various medicinal ailments and industries. Parts of the plant provide remedy to inflammation, malaria, stomach ailments etc. The leaves are anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, anti-oxidative and anti-fungal. The flower oil is also very prominently used as a perfume.
Parijat Flower have four to eight petals arranged above a vibrant orange tube in a pinwheel pattern. Shiuli is known as Night-flowering Jasmine and Coral Jasmine worldwide. Parijat grows in the outer Himalayas, and are found in tracts of Jammu & Kashmir, Nepal to East of Assam, Bengal, Tripura extended through the Central region up to Godavari in the South. Besides India, they are found in Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal and Pakistan. Shiuli is the State Flower of West Bengal.
The Shiuli Flower is a sun loving plant and thrives best in sunny locations. The plant required about 3 hours of direct morning sunlight with natural bright light for the rest of the day. Watering is very crucial for this plant. Parijat Green can quickly die of root rot, so do not over-water. Water the plant when the top 2 inches dry off, preferably in early morning or evening. Water deeply during the summer months and reduce during winters.
