Harshringar
Botanical name : Nyctanthes Arbor-tristis Harshingar, appears in several Hindu myths and is often related to the Kalpavriksha. In one myth, which appears inBhagavata Purana, the Mahabharata and the Vishnu Purana, Parijat appeared as the result of the Samudra manthan (Churning of the Milky Ocean). Lord Krishna battled with Indra to win parijat. Further on, his wife Satyabhama demanded the tree to be planted in the backyard of her palace. It so happened that in spite of having the tree in her backyard, the flowers used to fall in the adjacent backyard of the other queenRukmini who was favorite of Lord Krishna. Satyabhama used to resent this.
Classification Genus
Nyctanthes
Species
Arbor-tristis
Common name
Harshingar and Parijatak
Family name
Jasmine family / Teak family
Origin
Native to dry and moist deciduous forests thought India
Physical attributes Form and spread :
Bush or small tree
Foliage :
A large untidy bush or small tree with drooping four angle branches and harshly scabrous tree.
Leaf :
Leaves in opposite pairs; dark green and vary rough on upper surface ,paler and hairy below; margins often with large ,distant teeth; apex pointy. Leafs shades in February or March depending on winters.
Flowers :
Flowers with 5-8 white (slightly unequal) petals at the end of brilliant orange tube about one cm long in cluster, usually 3-5 together; highly fragrant. Flowers in August peaking in September –October.
Bark :
Pale or dark gray sometimes greenish, rough & somewhat wrinkled.
Fruit /seed:
The fruit is a flat brown heart-shaped to round capsule 2 cm diameter, with two sections each containing a single seed
Requirements Propagation :
Easily propagated by seeds, the quick growing seedlings may flower with good care in two year.
Growth rate :
Medium, The plant grows to a height of about 10m height.
Soil type :
This tree grows well in wide verity of loamy soil with ph 5.6 – 7.5
Light requirement :
Full sunlight
Uses in landscape It is vary popular flowering plant in warm and humid climate regions and plated in home gardens, religious places for numerous scented flowers which fall on ground during night and form a carpet below.
1