Mussaenda is a evergreen flowering shrub, commonly found in home gardens and is grown widely for its strikingly bright colored blooms. The color of these blooms range from red, pale pink, white, yellow or shades of these. The leaves of Mussaenda plants are very soft, hairy light-green colored and very spongy feel to touch. One interesting fact about these flowers is that what we call flowers in mussaendas are not true flowers. Actually these are the bracts which actually surrounds the true flower. The true flowers are of small with five petals, color of which ranges from yellow, orange, white and red. As often these big showy bracts outgrow these flowers, sometimes it is hard to notice the flowers from a distance. In mussaendas, the bracts are more attractive than the actual flowers. Strange but beautiful!
Common Name: Mussaenda, Ashanti Blood, Red Flag Bush, Tropical Dogwood
[In Tamil: Vellaiyilai]
Botanical Name: Mussaenda erythrophylla
Family Name: Rubiaceae (coffee family)
Mussaenda Pale Pink Bloom
Mussaenda ‘Red Flag Bush’ – Red Bracts
Mussaenda Flower
Mussaenda Cultivar ‘Marmalade’
