Sweet smell of dawn

The fragrance of the Indian cork tree is the first thing that hits you. Read on to learn more about the Maramalli.

Pretty in white: Blooms at night and leaves a carpet of white, fragrant flowers.

I am Maramalli . I am also known as the Indian cork tree. My botanical name is Millingtonia hortensis .

About me: I am called the Indian cork tree because my bark is used as an inferior substitute for cork! Millingtonia is named after the English botanist Sir Thomas Millington and hortensis and hortus in Latin are words related to gardens.

I am: A tall tree with a straight bole, compound leaves and a typical corky bark. But my crowning glory is a profusion of silvery-white, long, tubular, delightfully fragrant flowers that crown my foliage.

My flowers bloom at night, and in the morning you find a fragrant white carpet of my trumpet shaped blossoms on the ground. I flower from April until the rain and again in November and December.

I am also used as an ornamental tree. My flowers are woven into a braid called Veni in Maharashtra. I am much sought after for my fragrance.

Courtesy: Nizhal — A Trust to promote tree conservation