Hello everyone! Usually I always tell you about my plot of land, I show you part of what is there, both animals and plants, but I rarely tell you about my internal garden, the one in the center of my house, the heart of my house, around which all the rooms are located. And the fact is that my house is of ancient architecture, in fact, it is a house built mostly in mud, without metal, beams or wire mesh, only mud and wood, and it has existed since the first decade of the twentieth century, that is, it is already more than 100 years old and still standing!
In that open space that is located in the center of my house, there is a plant, a vine that has existed there since before the middle of the twentieth century, in the 40's. Mom says that it was planted when my cousin, the Soul of the Paddock, died and they held his wake at home. Let's remember that in Venezuela, at the beginning and middle of the last century, in the rural areas there were no funeral parlors or funeral homes, and it was common practice that the deceased were veiled in their homes. The truth is that this plant is at least 75 years old.
This plant is commonly known as Trillolit or Character of Man, and this last name is because its flowers are born white, but vary their color with the passage of time and the incidence of sunlight, turning first to light pink and then to a dark red; hence it is said that they are variable as is the temperament of men, hahahaha; and its scientific name is Combretum indicum.
Planta arbustiva trepadora, perenne, nativa de Asia Tropical, pero se ha extendido a otros continentes, como el americano.
Hojas de entre 6 y 10 centímetros de longitud, con una forma ovoide en la base y acuminada en la punta, con distribución alterna en la rama.
Tronco leñoso tubular, inicialmente verde para luego tornarse marrón claro y posteriormente marrón oscuro.
Altura aproximada: entre 6 y 10 metros en promedio.
Flores tubulares de 5 pétalos en promedio, con un tallo largo, de 6 centímetros de largo, que se agrupan en ramilletes de hasta 20 flores, muy fragantes, tienen un olor muy dulce, y en su interior tienen una importante cantidad de néctar, de allí su gran valor en la alimentación de abejas y colibríes.
Las semillas, (que son los frutos), tienen forma de una cápsula ovoide, de 1 centímetro de longitud, con cuatro bordes muy definidos, con un porcentaje de germinación muy pequeño, ya que en su mayoría no son viables. Generalmente su forma de propagación es por esquejes o por hijos.
I would like to briefly expose the botanical and morphological characteristics of this plant, for which I have relied on bibliography that I quote at the end of this post, (I have not copied verbatim, but I have consulted it). Let's see each of these features:
- Climbing shrubby plant, perennial, native to Tropical Asia, but has spread to other continents, such as the Americas.
- Leaves between 6 and 10 centimeters long, with an ovoid shape at the base and acuminate at the tip, with alternate distribution on the branch.
- Tubular woody trunk, initially green and then turning light brown and later dark brown.
- Approximate height: between 6 and 10 meters on average.
- Tubular flowers of 5 petals on average, with a long stem, 6 centimeters long, which are grouped in clusters of up to 20 flowers, very fragrant, have a very sweet smell, and inside have a significant amount of nectar, hence its great value in feeding bees and hummingbirds.
- The seeds, (which are the fruits), have the shape of an ovoid capsule, 1 centimeter long, with four very defined edges, with a very small germination percentage, since most of them are not viable. Generally its form of propagation is by cuttings or by sons.
Monthly at home we prune this plant, since she grows quite a lot, and today we did it, we trimmed it a little so that it does not deteriorate the ceilings. I can say that it is a very noble plant, and I think it would be difficult to live at home without it being there, in the heart of my home, and this is because where I live, temperatures easily reach 40 ºC many months of the year, and there is also high incidence of sunlight, so protection is required in this unroofed area, and this beautiful plant has done it for more than 70 years; so the benefits it has provided to the family during all these decades are invaluable. Additionally, this precious plant has the particularity of serving as a fly repellent, I guess its smell keeps them away, not that it eliminates them, but it does prevent them from approaching. On the other hand it is a melliferous plant, it is common to see melipona bees, Apis, wasps, bumblebees and hummingbirds feeding on its flowers; and also its branches are used by the birds of my backyard to build their nests.
This plant is also very resistant, it requires daily watering, and I have very rarely put fertilizer on it. It has never been sick, but for about 5 years it has been plagued by a plague of white lice, which I try to control by eliminating the branches that are most diseased. Recently I saw some moths ovipositing on its leaves, and as a result of this event, some branches dried out. When I checked its leaves, I noticed that some of them had a kind of fungus on the underside, so I removed the diseased leaves and applied root fertilizer to strengthen it, and little by little it is recovering. It really is a super plant, in fact, I once heard that there was one like mine in a house, and since it was remodeled, they cut it and put a cement floor on top of it. After 30 years, they sold the property, and the people who bought it wanted to make some modifications, so they raised the floor, and OH SURPRISE, the plant sprouted, it had been hibernating all that time!
I want to HIGHLY recommend this noble plant, it is ideal for very sunny places, it offers an incredible shade and freshness, besides, your houses will always be perfumed, its flowers have an exquisite aroma. It is a beautiful and noble plant.
Aquí termino mi post de hoy, el cual hice para rendir tributo a esta hermosa planta y reconocer todos sus beneficios, así como también para darla a conocer. Espero que haya sido agradable para todos, y recuerden que la Madre Tierra es amable, amorosa con todos nosotros; y todas y cada una de sus criaturas (animales y plantas), juegan un papel fundamental en los ecosistemas. Saludos.
Here I end my post today, which I did to pay tribute to this beautiful plant and recognize all its benefits, as well as to make it known. I hope it has been enjoyable for everyone, and remember that Mother Earth is kind, loving to all of us; and each and every one of her creatures (animals and plants), play a fundamental role in the ecosystems. Greetings.
Bibliografía / Bibliography
- Naturaleza Tropical (2011). Una trepadora para tu jardín exterior, la Piscuala. Combretum indicum. Disponible en: https://naturalezatropical.com/combretum-indicum/
- Wikipedia (2021). Combretum indicum. Disponible en: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combretum_indicum
Fuentes de las Imágenes / Image sources
Todas las fotos de este post son de mi autoría y fueron tomadas con mi teléfono Xiomi REDMI 8 A // These photos are my own, and were taken with a Xiomi REDMI 8 A phone
Los divisores son cortesía de
quien comparte bellos diseños que embellecen el maquetado de nuestras publicaciones. // The dividers used are courtesy of
En caso de que se requiera utilizar el contenido o las imágenes de este post y de mis otras publicaciones, agradecería que se hiciera referencia a mi autoría (Fabiola Martínez) y se citara el enlace correspondiente. Gracias. // In case it is required to use the content or images of this post and of my other publications, I would appreciate if you could refer to my authorship (Fabiola Martínez) and cite the corresponding link. Thanks.
