Count Your Blessings!

Mon Beau Jardin

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!
COUNT THE GARDEN BY THE FLOWERS, NEVER BY THE LEAVES THAT FALL.
COUNT YOUR LIFE WITH SMILES AND NOT THE TEARS THAT ROLL.
..... Author unknown.

Knowing me, Knowing you..... Aha.....!

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MALAYSIAN FLORA (USDA Zone 13)

Welcome to our exotic world of everlasting summers and tropical rainforests.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Combretum constrictum - The Hot, the Loud and the Proud #2


Recently, I was attracted by this bright red flower that looks like a big rambutan fruit. The flowers are very striking and spectacular. On second thoughts, I think they look like porcupine spikes too. What do you think?

Are you growing this plant in your garden and what is your common name for it?



Scientific name: Combretum constrictum
Common name: Thailand Powderpuff
Family: Combretaceae
Native of: Tropical Africa
Photographs taken by Autumn Belle at The Secret Garden of 1-Utama
Grateful thanks to Dr. Francis Ng


This is an evergreen that grows under the full or partial sun. It flowers freely throughout the year and the blooms are attractive to bees, butterflies and birds.

It can be grown as a small tree or trained as a shrub by prunning. The plant is quite free of pests. Propagation is from seeds and cuttings.




My post today is dedicated to Flower Lady from Florida, USA of Plum Cottage Gardens blogs. Thank you for being the first commenter of my previous post on the Asian Foxtail. I'm sure you'll be inspired by her lovely exotic flowers and beautiful quotes.



This is end of April 2010, time for The Hot, the Loud, and the Proud Meme started by Noel of A Plant Fanatic blog. Please follow my link here to participate or view other spectacular shows around the world.

This is also my entry for Fertilizer Friday. My grateful thanks to Tootsie at Tootsie Time for hosting Fertilizer Friday. To see what others have posted or to participate, visit
here.

Post publication update: Bernie is growing this plant in her garden. She has written a post about it at My Dry Tropics Garden blog. The post is here.

33 sweet words:

Bernie said...

Great photos Autumn Belle ... they really show off this marvellous shrub so well.

I also grow this beauty and it's in full bloom right now. It attracts lots of Sunbirds and butterflies in my garden. My shrub doesn't flower quite all year round ... it takes a break over the winter and starts blooming again in late spring.

Over here we also use the common name Thailand Powder Puff.

Nancy's Notes said...

Stunning photograph! Truly special!

Nancy

noel said...

aloha autumn belle,

this is a beautiful shrub/tree, they are also very popular here in hawaii and the blooms are very showy

thanks for sharing this with us today :)

rainfield61 said...

The buds that are ready to bloom look like a dragon. They are blowing hot, and hot flame.

Ami said...

Love it! Your photo also captured the beuty of this flower so well! Very Hot, Loud and Proud!

Floridagirl said...

I don't grow that and am not familiar with it. But it is very beautiful! Reminds me of the blood lily, only growing in bush form. Wonderful plant and perfect for hot, loud, and proud!

jeansgarden said...

A stunning flower, Autumn Belle, and such a perfect subject for your signature photography style of starting up close and then gradually giving us a fuller picture. Wow! -Jean

Jama said...

I didn't know that as Thailand Powderpuff,over here the Calliandra Emerginata is also known as powderpuff plant, the flowers quiet similar.

Andrea said...

Like Jama we call that Calliandra of just powder puff, no Thailand hehe. As usual your photos are lovely. I am not good yet with my DSLR.

James Missier said...

At the first glance - I thought it was a blood lily.
Really they look marvelous - any fragrance?

Amy said...

I would love to have that shrub in my garden. It is very pretty! It reminds me a little of the bottle brush shrub.

Titania said...

Hello autumn belle; a beautiful tropical Powderpuff, as it is commonly called like all the others with similar flowers. The colour is really tropical hot and showy. I wish to grow one like this!

Stephanie said...

This African native powderpuff does look like rambutan and a big one ;-) Nice puffs. Have a good day.

Naturedigital said...

Beautiful flowers. Great photographs.
Costas

CARMEN said...

My post today is dedicated to Autumn Belle from Malaysia of "My nice garden"

AaronVFT said...

This flower is so striking! It reminds me of a porcupine, rambutan, sea urchin, ixora and a cactus at the same time!

FlowerLady said...

Good morning Autumn Belle ~ That is a beautiful powder puff flower. I don't have that one, but do have a baby white powder puff growing from seed planted last year. No blooms yet.

Thank you for the dedication. I now have 4 blogs going, yikes.

Love the orchid that is your last picture. Just beautiful.

Have a lovely weekend ~ FlowerLady

Autumn Belle said...

Hi, everyone. Thank you very much for the visits and nice comments. I really appreciate it very much.

Jama, Andrea. Eventhough Combretum and Calliandra Emerginata are from different families, they do look like powderpuffs, no wonder they have similar common names.

James, you caught me this time! I don't know of any scent from this flower. Also no info. about the fragrance. I'll ask Bernieh who is growing this plant.

Rosie@leavesnbloom said...

Autumn Belle this is beautiful - it reminds me of a plumper bottle brush plant.

Darla said...

What a great stand out plant!!

Rainforest Gardener said...

That is a beautiful flower, but now you have me craving some rambutan! Some days I'll drive all over the city looking at each and every grocery store for fruit like rambutans, dragonfruit, lychee and passionfruit.

Meredith said...

Wow, what a beauty, Autumn Belle! I love it at the stage of the buds just unfurling. :)

Lui said...

Simply gorgeous!
I saw some in Manila but I'm pretty clueless with names. We name our flowers after people. Now, if I see that flower again I will name it "AutumnBelle"

EG Wow said...

It looks so exotic to me...and very lovely!

Alea said...

What a gorgeous flower!

SandyCarlson said...

These flowers are gorgeous.

Ever Green Tree said...

These are called Callendra / powder puff here and are a common sight along the road side. Beautiful shots and the RED is definitely catchy n haute! Thx for sharing. Its a pleasure.

Bangchik said...

It resemble rambutan in a small way, the hairs especially, but it also exhibits striking similarity to ixora with its dashing red spikes... ~bangchik

Autumn Belle said...

Now, I have the answer as regards to fragrance on the plant. Bernie has replied to me that this plant does not have a fragrance on its flowers or leaves.

Bernie has written a post on this plant, so I'm going to insert her link here.

Bananazà´• said...

Juz as expected awesome pixs again. Lovely tQ.

Rosey Pollen said...

What a firecracker of a specimen! My Dad would be head over heels in love with this one!

I think it def. suites the theme you have here. Thanks!

Rosey

Paula said...

WOW! WHat an amazing flower! Thanks for sharing...Paula in Idaho

Ayie said...

i am not too fond of red flowers most esp red roses but this one looks pretty

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