All you cat lovers out there, doesn't this look familiar to you?
Except that this one is on a plant...LOL!
I guess that's how they derived the name, Cat Whiskers or locally known as "Misai Kucing".
It sure is a beauty.
Categorized as a local herb, it is the leaves which are sought after by the locals for health benefits. It is known to treat kidney related problems and reduce high blood pressure. Due to this, the Cat Whisker is found in every home garden in Malaysia.
The flowers come in two colors, white and purple. The stocks at the nursery back then were all in white, I was told. I wanted the one with purple flower. It was a baby plant then so I've no idea how they could be so sure of its color.
Since I wanted this plant so much to 'patrol' the pests in my garden, I've had no choice but to settle with the white ones. When the flowers bloomed for the first time,... in purple!!, I jumped with joy! Thank you God, a prayer I made in my heart for this wonderful blessing and beautiful surprise.
Now that I'm getting the color of my choice, I need to seriously consider propagating this plant and make more 'forts' on my garden front :)
Wish me luck!
Thank you for coming and may beautiful surprises await you in your garden of life :)
How wonderful to find a plant that is beautiful and can be used for your health and the health of the garden :) But, nature is quite smart that way! I'm so happy that you got the purple colour you wanted.
ReplyDeleteI realized now Rosemary, the 'beauty' of nature is just like our mothers, giving more and more with a twist of surprise at times when you least expect them.
ReplyDeletePurple is my favorite color and lets hope I propagate successfully :)
I agree with you Ash, Mother Nature has given us a planet full of wonder, I wish more people would appreciate it :)
DeleteAsh, thank you for stopping by my blog! Your flower is very unusual and helps with health problem.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to my garden Nadezda.
ReplyDeleteSo nice to see you :)
Will be following you in your garden adventure.
this is one fine flower, so many great uses for this gem.
ReplyDeleteThank you Deanna :-)
DeleteThey do look like whiskers, don't they?! I would've never thought there was such a thing :)
ReplyDeleteTrue Tricia ...this is a gift from mother nature :-)
DeleteIt certainly does remind me of cats whiskers...and it's really pretty as well! What types of pests does it help keep at bay? I've had trouble with aphids with my indoor plants this year and am looking for solutions for indoor pest control.
ReplyDeleteHi Tanya,
ReplyDeleteI'm still experimenting based on expert's advice and these are merely pest deterrent plant. It never stop pests from coming again. Aphids are tough. I had no choice but to remove plants which attracted them in the first place, to be free from them. Have you tried neem oil? It works for aphids but you have to tolerate the smell.
Never seen before, lovely flowers!F.
ReplyDeleteHi Federica ...it is beautiful.
DeleteThanks for your lovely comment :-)
Welcome to my garden!