Parijat – Flowering plants

Parijat (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis) is a flowering, shrub or a little tree. Parijat is sometimes called as the “tree of sorrow” because the blossoms lose their brightness during the daytime. Parijat grows up to 33 ft tall, with flaky grey bark. It has hairy and rough green leaves, decussately and simple, margin entire, measuring about 2 – 5 inches long and 2 – 7 cm wide. The blooms are fragrant, with a five- to eight-lobed white corolla with an orange-red center, usually in clusters of two to seven and arranged at the tips of branches terminally or in the axils of leaves. The fruit is a flat brown heart-shaped to round capsule 2 cm diameter, with two sections each containing a single seed.

Scientific Name: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis
Synonyms: Bruschia macrocarpa, Nyctanthes dentata, Nyctanthes tristis, Parilium arbor-tristis (L.), Scabrita scabra L., Scabrita triflora L.
Common Name: Night-flowering jasmine or Parijat.

 

 

 

 

 

How to grow and maintain Parijat (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis):

Light:
It thrives best in full sun to partial shade. It requires at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.

Soil:
It grows well in moist but well-drained soil. It prefers the soil pH 5.6 – 7.5.

Temperature:
It prefers an ideal temperature between 60 degrees Fahrenheit to 70 degrees Fahrenheit / 20 degrees Celsius to 25 degrees Celsius.

Water:
Water moderately, always keep the soil moist but never allow your plant to sit in water. Allow the topsoil to become slightly dry between each watering.

Fertilizer:
Fertilize your plant with any organic fertilizer or fertilizers which are rich in phosphorous can be helpful for the parijat as it produces a bountiful of flowers every year.

Propagation:
It can be easily propagated by seed or by cuttings. Cuttings will flower much quicker then plants grown from seeds.

Pruning:
Prune your plant once the blooms have been and gone, evacuate the dead heads and prune back any damaged, uncontrollable branches. To support side spreading, prune off the top of young plants.

Pests and Diseases:
There is no serious pest or disease problems.

Advantages of Parijat (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis):

• Parijat (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis) is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, expectorant, bitter, tonic, febrifuge and a mild purgative. The flowers are bitter astringent, ophthalmic, stomachic and carminative.
• The leaves are utilized in Ayurvedic medicine, to treat sciatica, arthritis, fevers, rheumatism and various painful conditions.
• Leaf juice with honey, three times a day, is useful in the treatment of fever, cough. Fever which occurs at irregular intervals and is not continuous or steady, the leaves juice in a dose of 10 ml, twice a day for five days is given.
• The seeds are crushed and the aqueous paste is applied externally on the piles. They are also useful in treating baldness, scurvy, and affections of the scalp.
• The decoction of its seeds is used as a hair tonic. Washing hair daily with this tonic helps to get rid of dandruff and lice.