The flowers of Mumbai

What do you think of when you hear the words: Flowers, Mumbai. Do you picture beautiful flowers in a field, painting the earth a bright orange or yellow? Do you picture flowerbeds alongside pavements and homes?

Those are things that you can find in most countries. Driving in the countryside in America, Australia or South Africa - to name just a few countries - you will find beautiful fields of flowers in all shapes, sizes and colors. The flowers in Mumbai are no different.


There is however a difference in how we as people look at the flowers. Some cultures can take a flower and make garlands out of it to put in their hair - such as the Crossandra flower in Mumbai. Other countries like Hawaii, use flowers to make leis, leis are placed over the head of a person to lie on his shoulders. A lei is usually presented to visitors to the Hawaiian islands.
Indigenous flowers of Mumbai include Rhododendrons and Orchids which are then cultivated by other parts of the world. The Lotus is the National flower of India and it only grows in shallow water.


There is one very special flower that can be found in Mumbai. It is called the Karvy. What makes this flower so special is that it only blooms every eight years. The Karvy is a purplish blue flower with a tinge of pink. The plant comes alive every year around Monsoon, but once the rains are over, all that is left is dead stems. This pattern continues for seven years, but in the eighth year the plant bursts into bulk blossoming. There are several uses for the Karvy flower as well. Many people believe that crushing the leaves of the Karvy plant and then using the juice is a cure for stomach pains. The leaves and stems can also be used to make thatched roofs. Some people even make honey from this incredible flower.