Parijat (Night-flowering Jasmine)
Nyctanthes arbor-tristis
📖 About this plant
Parijat (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis), also known as Night-flowering Jasmine or Coral Jasmine, is a small ornamental tree or large shrub native to the Indian subcontinent and deeply woven into Indian mythology, religion, and culture. According to Hindu mythology, Parijat emerged from the churning of the cosmic ocean (Samudra Manthan) and was brought to earth by Lord Krishna. The flowers are intensely fragrant — they open at night (hence “Night-flowering Jasmine”) and fall to the ground by morning, creating a beautiful carpet of white-and-orange blossoms beneath the tree. In India, the flowers are gathered in the morning and used for religious offerings, garlands, and for dyeing silk yellow (the orange tube contains a dye called nyctanthin). The tree blooms profusely from late monsoon through winter, providing colour and fragrance when few other trees are in bloom. Beyond its ornamental and religious significance, Parijat has important medicinal uses in Ayurveda — the leaves are used to treat fever, arthritis, sciatica, and constipation, while the flowers are used for digestive complaints. The plant is also mentioned in poetry and literature across Indian languages, symbolizing fleeting beauty (the flowers that fall by morning) and devotion.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun to partial shade
Keep soil moist
Moderate (50-80%)
15-32°C
Well-draining loamy soil; pH 6.0-7.5. Tolerates rocky and moderately poor soils.
Apply balanced fertilizer or compost every 6-8 weeks during growing season
🌐 Common Names
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia
- 📏 Max height
- 3-10 m (10-33 ft) as a small tree or large shrub
- 📐 Spread
- 2-4 m (6-13 ft)
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Autumn to winter (August to December in India)
- 🎨 Bloom color
- White petals with bright orange-red central tube (corolla tube)
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Dark green, rough-textured, ovate leaves 5-10 cm long
- ⏳ Lifespan
- 20-50 years
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate — 30-60 cm per year
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Mildly toxic — seeds and leaves may cause stomach upset if ingested; flowers are used in traditional medicine
- 🌱 Propagation
- Seeds (most common — fresh seeds germinate in 2-4 weeks), stem cuttings (semi-hardwood, root in 6-8 weeks)
🛡️ Health & Safety
Mildly toxic — seeds and leaves may cause stomach upset if ingested; flowers are used in traditional medicine
Common issues
- Aphids on new growth
- mealybugs
- leaf spot diseases in humid weather
- leaf yellowing from poor drainage
- sooty mold from aphid honeydew
- occasional caterpillar damage
💡 Care tips
- Plant in a location where the falling flowers can be appreciated — beneath the tree becomes a carpet of orange and white in the morning during bloom season.
- The tree is perfect near a window or patio where the nighttime fragrance can be enjoyed.
- Parijat prefers morning sun and afternoon shade in hot regions.
- Water regularly during the growing season
- reduce in winter.
- Prune after flowering to control shape and size — it tolerates hard pruning.
- The tree is relatively short (3-5 m in urban gardens) and suitable for small spaces.
- Mulch heavily to retain moisture and feed with compost annually.
- The flowers can be collected and dried for use in natural dyes.
- In cold regions, young plants need protection from frost — cover during cold snaps.