Monsoon flowers of Goa

Impatiens (Impatiens balsamina): These flowers start blooming during the monsoons. These are native to the Western Ghats and are known for their pretty pink flowers. Locally, these are known as chiddo, and are easily found along roadsides, open green spaces. They are used in various rituals, especially for Shravan month’s Aaytar Pujan,Ganesh Chaturthi, etc | PHOTOS COURTESY: Arti Das

Wild til (Sesame Orientalis): These bell-shaped pink flowers are seen almost everywhere in Goa these days. As the name suggests, these are a wild variety of sesame seeds. The pods contain these tiny seeds.

Silver cockscomb (Celosia argentea): These pink and white shaded flowers grow really wild at this time of the year. The tender leaves, just before flowering, are edible and are locally eaten as a vegetable. The best species are seen on plateaus.

Dhobi’s handkerchief (Mussaenda frondosa): The shrub of these flowers grows like a wild creeper on other trees. The bract beneath the tiny orange flowers is white in colour. Many assume it’s the petal of the flower. It is locally known as patri and is an integral part of the wild leaves and flowers, offered to lord Ganesha during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival

Harna or sonki flowers (Senecio bombayensis): These stunning yellow flowers also grow well on plateaus. They have a lot of cultural significance as they represent goddess Parvati, and thus, these flowers are used during Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

Pagoda flowers (Clerodendrum paniculatum): These bunches of bright orange-red coloured flowers bloom at this time of the year. These are mostly seen in open green spaces and are also cultivated in gardens for their impressive flower display.

Tiger claws or glory lily (Gloriosa superba): It is a bright yellow-red coloured flower with an unusual shape. It is a vine, which is usually found in forested areas. However, these pretty flowers are highly toxic and poisonous.

Buttonhead Pipewort (Eriocaulon heterolepis): These flowers are mostly found on plateaus near water bodies.

Utricularia malabarica: These flowers are not so commonly seen, but are found on some plateaus in Goa. They are endemic to the laterite plateaus of the Western Ghats.