Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes Kunthiana)
A shrub found in the shola forests of the Western Ghats in Kerala,Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Blooms once every 12 years.
Blooms in Shalomkunnu, Santhanpara,Idukki district, Kerala in July - August 2021.
Neelakurinji is a beautiful flowering plant native to the Western Ghats of southern India, particularly the high-altitude grasslands of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
It's scientific name is Strobilanthes kunthiana.
Commonly it is known as Neelakurinji / Kurinji.
It has an attractive colour of bluish-purple to violet.
It is seen in the high-altitude grasslands and shola ecosystems.
It is famous for its mass flowering, when large areas of hillsides become covered in blue-violet flowers.
Neelakurinji is generally described as a gregarious, long-interval flowering species, with the famous S. kunthiana populations flowering on a roughly 12-year cycle.
It has an ecological importance - Its flowering provides an important seasonal food resource for insects and contributes to the biodiversity of the Western Ghats.
The sight of Neelakurinji covering the hills is especially associated with Munnar and the surrounding high ranges of Kerala. It is one of the most spectacular natural floral displays of the Western Ghats.
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