If not for mom, I wouldn’t have noticed the Fiddlewood Tree standing tall in Rajarajeshwari temple in Yercaud. She remembered that her dad had planted the tree in their garden and they used to call it “Din ka Raja” (King of the day).
I was delighted to hear this and photograph the tree with its beautiful white fragrant flowers.
Other common names are Beli Parijatha in Kannada and Manjari in Hindi. The tongue twisting botanical name is Citharexylum spinosum and belongs to Verbenaceae family.
Fiddlewood tree is tropical to America and grows to a height of 40 feet. The leaves are dark green, glossy, and attractive.
Pendant like flowers are fragrant, white, and small. Bees are attracted to the flowers.
The wood of the tree is used to make musical instruments.
