27/07/2026
Known in English as Cape Plumbago or Blue Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata), this vibrant sky-blue blossom is often called Nil Nitol (නිල් නිටොල්) in Sri Lanka. The most delightful secret about this plant is hiding right behind its soft, phlox-like petals: the calyx (the green stem tube holding each flower) is covered in tiny glandular hairs that secrete a natural, harmless sticky glue! Because of this, children often press the flowers onto their clothes or dangling from their earlobes like natural floral earrings. In nature, this sticky trick helps the flower heads catch onto passing animals to hitch a ride and spread across new land.
Madhusha KuruppuArachchi.Photography ♡