July 26, 2010

Everyday

Catharanthus, popularly known as araw-araw (everyday) in Tagalog, abounds in contradictions. It is at once delicate and hardy. The gentlest tug will uproot the entire plant for its roots are very shallow, yet it can survive the strongest of typhoons for its stem is so flexible that it will bend to the ground in the face of gusty winds. Because of its light and shallow roots, it can grow anywhere, even between the cracks of pavements. This particular plant was growing between the gutter and the asphalt street.

Catharanthus flowers, also known as Madagascar Periwinkle or Araw-araw


Araw-araw is also very prolific. Plant one and in a couple of weeks your entire garden will be overrun, whether you like it or not. Even if you uproot all of them, they will be back, year after year after year. (PHOTOS BY DOGBERRY)

Catharanthus flowers, also known as Madagascar Periwinkle or Araw-araw

24 comments:

Olivier said...

belles fleurs, j'aime bien la premiere toute seule, tres belle

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful ode to life ! Please have a nice start into the new week.

George said...

This is a beautiful plant, but I'm not sure I would want it to take over the yard.

Kim, USA said...

This is the flower we Pinay's had a hard time remembering the name at a party yesterday. One said, it grows mostly at the cemetery (true), along the pavements, at schools, but here in the US it's expensive lol! Nice shot too!
Macro Monday~Butterfly

Al said...

We have a lot of them here, and my Mom told me it's also called "chichirica" haha.

Eden said...

Those are pretty flowers. I am even interested to plant them in my garden this Spring. Love their colour.

TOG said...

We grow them and call them periwinkle. This is one of the new types.
http://togofcoralgables.blogspot.com/2010/05/red-as-red-that-it-can-be.html

Mike Rose said...

Hilda is this a cultivated plant or weed? Very attractive but I guess also a pain once established.

Are the flowers fragrant?

Oakland Daily Photo said...

Is it related to the vinca?

Vijay said...

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VP said...

Love those white flowers and their persistence!

Rachel said...

beautiful flowers! Thanks for your comment the other day on my blog- how did you know it was my birthday?? :-)

arabesque said...

oh! so that's what they're called! ^0^
i had fotos of it for awhile but don't know its name. ^0^
pretty well caught!

GreensboroDailyPhoto said...

They make lovely ground cover. We're all sharing nature photos today. I guess it is because there is so much beauty around us!

escape said...

amazing. i never knew there's a plant like these.

we need these on areas where kaingin system has been implemented. at least to start with something green while planting trees along with it.

Lowell said...

This reminds me of a plant we have here that grows prolifically also...multi-colored and hardy and like this one, you can pull it up easily, but it doesn't seem affected much by really bad weather.

I can't remember the name, though.

Verna Luga said...

Hi Hilds, this is a sun loving plant they come in pink and yellow flowers .. true, kahit bunutin mu.. they bounce back and grow again..

Kaori said...

Pretty photo of the flowers, Hilda! Do you know if this flower can be used as a medicine? I think my grandmother had some in her garden :D

Eki said...

I don't know what we call it here. But the facts you presented are fascinating. One can be weak and strong at the same time and in the same body. I like the metaphor it teaches us.

crocrodyl said...

Looks beautiful.

Lois said...

They look just like the periwinkles I planted in my front flower bed 20 years ago. They come up every year and sometimes I find them in other places too! Always a beautiful bloom.

Hilda said...

Al:
Chichirica! That's the name I couldn't remember the other night.

Mike:
They're cultivated and sold in nurseries.

Carolyn:
According to Wikipedia, they are.

Dom:
You are welcome to come to my house and pick as much as you can for your next hike. But tell me so we can prepare little bags of soil for them.

Kaori:
I didn't find them in my source of Philippine medicinal plants.

ruma said...

What a beautiful bouquet!!
It is very Gorgeous colors...

I am glad by your visit.

From the Far East.
Greetings.
ruma

Unknown said...

How to plant this araw araw