Plants: Oroxylum indicum - Midnight Horror

Approaching the tree in twilight could be startling - the sight of its long 4' seed pods curved downward appear to be the wings of a resting vulture. This is a night blooming tree to 40' from India with leaves to 5'. Tropical. This is an ornamental tree, a very striking plant with bold, very large, much-divided, ornamental, glossy green leaves and bearing long, ample even, erect panicles of large, purple-red flowers.

Various bits of the plant are used in an exciting variety of oriental dishes. Hardy in zones 10-11. In cooler areas grow as a patio plant, outside in the summer and indoors in the winter. This deciduous tree is naturally seen in the secondary forests in the tropics. It is in high demand now a days for its bark used for tanning and as medicine for fever and many other ailments and as tonic. Propagation is through seeds.

Publisher: Hirts Gardens