Flower Homes: Crown Flowers

Friday, January 17, 2014

Crown Flowers

Type of Flowers

Crown Flower:

Crown flower (Calotropis gigantea) is a species of Calotropis native to Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India and China.

It is a large shrub growing to 4 m tall. It has clusters of waxy flowers that are either white or lavender in colour. Each flower consists of five pointed petals and a small, elegant "crown" rising from the centre, which holds the stamens. The plant has oval, light green leaves and milky stem. The latex of Calotropis gigantea contains cardio glycosides, volatile fatty acids and calcium oxalate.

This plant plays host to a variety of insects and butterflies. Calotropis is an example of entomophily pollination (pollination by insects) and pollination is achieved with the help of bees. In Calotropis, gynostegium is present (formed by the fusion of stigma and androecium). The pollen are arranged in a structure named Pollinia which are attached to a glandular, adhesive disc at the stigmatic angle (Translator Mechanism). These sticky discs get attached to the legs of visiting bees so that pollinia are pulled out when the bee moves away. When such a bee visits another flower, this flower gets pollinated by the sticky pollinia.

Grow of Crown Flowers.
Step 1

Choose a spot to plant your crown flower. Crown flowers like full sun, but they can handle partial shade, too.

Step 2

Obtain a whole crown flower or a branch of a crown flower. If you have the branch, soak it in water until it sprouts roots. This should take about a week or two. Once the roots have sprouted it is ready to plant.

Step 3

Plant the crown flower. Dig a hole for the crown flower deep enough to accommodate the roots, about one to two feet deep and one foot in diameter. Place the crown flower in the hole and fill with soil. Pat it down firmly. If you are planting the branch, dig a small hole, about six inches deep and three inches wide. Place the branch in the hole and fill it with soil, patting down firmly. Stake the branch until it can hold its own weight.

Step 4

Water your crown flower once a week for five minutes each watering.

Step 5

Prune the crown flower when it is three feet tall. Remove any dead or damaged branches. Trim any over-reaching branches. Prune once a year for the crown flower to have a full shape

Tip.Do not over water your crown flower.