Combretum rotundifolium

 The Monkey Brush, Combretum rotundifolium  has stunningly beautiful inflorescence. It is a vine, which can be trimmed to have a bushy habit. The colour of the inflorescence ranges from yellow to orange to red, making the whole plant look spectacular

Thiss combretum is a native of South America, and it has adjusted nicely to our tropical conditions.

Hardy Hopbush

The Hardy Hopbush Dodonaea viscosa is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions. In Australia, it was used in the preparation of beer, hence the name 'Hopbush'.It is a plant which can grow happily in arid regions. The wood is tough, and is used to make tools and farm implements.
Dodonaea is called Netrani in Kannada, and has many medicinal uses. The leaves are used for tooth ache.
The winged capsules change colour from light green to maroon red.
Dodonaea is named after the 16th century French botanist Dodoens. Viscosa means sticky in Latin.

Dazzling Dahlia

 Dahlia is a native of tropical America, but it has happily made India its home. There are around 36 species of Dahlia. There are the pretty single flowers and  the dazzling dinner plate varieties.  The colours range from purple to white,  in the hybrid varieties.

 Since they have eight sets of chromosomes, unlike other plants which have only two.

Dahlia is named after the scientist Anders Dahl.

Chocolate Plant

Pseuderanthemun alatum is called the Chocolate Plant because of its chocolate coloured leaves. The small purple flowers bloom throughout the year. Although it is a native of Mexico, this plant has adapted itself to the climate in Bangalore.

A Black Beauty- Bat Flower

 The Bat Flower Tacca chantrieri belongs to the family Dioscoreaceae (Yam). It is native to India and Southeast Asia. The unusual black flower has long whiskers and looks like a bat.

Only diehard gardeners seem to like its outlandish beauty. The plant itself is attractive with bright green leaves, but it is hardly seen in any garden.

Gmelina asiatica

Gmelina is a small tree or bush, sometimes with thorns, which is found in scrub jungles. It belongs to the family Lamiaceae. It has attractive, large yellow flowers.The plant is called Gopabhadra in Sanskrit.
The plant is widely used in making Ayurvedic medicine to combat asthma, bronchitis and other lung diseases.

Bread Flower

Vallaris heynei is sometimes called Bread Flower because its fragrance reminds some people of newly baked bread. Belonging to the Apocynaceae family, this flower is known as Bhadravalli in Sanskrit. The vine can be trained over pergolas and arches.A native plant of India and Southeast Asia, this flower is the state floral emblem of Malacca.The fragrant flowers are very popular in Thailand and Malaysia, where it is known as Kesidang.The flowers attract butterflies and small birds.