Beautiful, Offbeat, Roadside Flowers of Monsoon

Last week I was at my home town for a family function. Monsoon had instilled my native place with greenery. As coastal area receives highest rainfall, my place was celebrating the season soaking in the rain. I was out for an evening walk and enjoying the fresh, green picturesque landscape. Sitting on the nature's lap I was recalling my childhood days - playing in water, soaking in the rain drops, placing paper boats in small streams and enjoy its sailing, plucking those beautiful wild flowers...Ohhh!!! joyful memories of childhood.

As I walked further, my eyes were searching for those beautiful, offbeat, roadside flowers which bloom during Monsoon, adding their own colors against the dominant green background. I found many. Clicked some pictures of those fresh, wet flowers. These flowers can be seen in Coastal and Malnaad region of Karnataka. I tried to identify and get the scientific names of those flowers. I could get the names of only few flowers. Here are some beautiful flowers of Monsoon which can bee seen around my home town.

Gloriosa Superba :

This flower is also called as flame Lily, fire Lily becos it looks like the flame of fire. I first saw this flower at my hubby's place as it grows mainly in Malnaad region. They call it as Gouri Hoovu (ಗೌರಿ ಹೂವು). In my hubby's place they worship this flower during Ganesha Chaturthi frstival. They keep this flower with its creep along with Ganesha Idol as a symbol of Gouri. This fire Lily creep will be immersed with Ganesha idol on the day of Ganesha immersion. These flame Lilies are common during Monsoon in Malnaad.

Theru Hoovu / Aarati Chandu Hoovu (ತೇರು ಹೂವು /ಆರತಿ ಚಂಡು ಹೂವು)

I am not able to find its scientific name. In coastal region it is known as Aarati Chandu hoovu and in Malnaad, they call it as Theru Hoovu. These big, red color flowers are eye catchy and favorites of butterflies too. These flowers bloom in a group and it is a common sight along the roadside during Monsoon.

Sesame Flowers (Bell Flowers)

In Kannada language these beautiful sesame flowers are called as Ghante Hoovu /ಘಂಟೆ ಹೂವು (Bell Flower) becos of its bell shape. These purple flowers can be seen during Monsoon across coastal region.

Klugia Flowers

Dark blue colored Klugia flowers are one of the attractions of Monsoon. They can be seen near hill side. Though they are small flowers, they easily attract one's attention.

Acacia Flower :

Acacia trees can be seen everywhere in the coastal region. During Monsoon these trees are full of long, bright yellow colored flowers. In a single tree more than hundred flowers bloom. It looks like tree has been painted with yellow color. Acacia flowers have unpleasant and irritating smell. When these flowers bloom, I cant stand near the tree for more than a minute. Many people are allergic to its pollen grains.

Calotropis Gigantea :

In my place this plant is famous as Ekkada Gida/Ekke Gida(ಎಕ್ಕೆ ಗಿಡ). It is a medicinal plant used in Ayurveda, Homeopathy etc. Along the country side they are plenty. During Monsoon it shines with lavender color flowers. These flowers are small and usually go unnoticed. 

Here are some other beautiful and charming flowers that fill the nature with different colors during Monsoon. I could not find their scientific names as well as local names. 

These particular Monsoon plants dont need any special care or maintenance. They grow themselves and some of those flowering plants disappear after Monsoon ends. When the rain drops of next Monsoon hits the earth, they come alive again. This is truly a magic of the nature.