10 Unknown Facts About The Rare Neelakurinji Flower
Producer: Riya Ashok
The flower neelakurinji is a member of the Acanthaceae family, namely Strobilanthes kunthiana.
It is indigenous to the Western Ghats, which are mainly located in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Every twelve years, the flowers bloom, painting the hillsides in shades of blue-purple.
Neelakurinji turns the surrounding area into a mass of blue when it blooms.
It grows in the Western Ghats' shola woods, which are high-altitude evergreen forests.
Typically, neelakurinji grows between 1300 and 2400 metres above sea level.
The flowering is important ecologically because it draws pollinators like bees and butterflies.
The sporadic blooming and limited habitat of Neelakurinji make it a vulnerable species.
Neelakurinji is used in folklore and traditional medicine by the local inhabitants in the Western Ghats.
Travellers are drawn to the Neelakurinji Festival, which honours its flowering.