Family: Rutaceae
Common name: Lemonia, Ravenia, Limonia, Pink ravenia
Lemonia is an elegant flowering plant that is not very commonly seen in India, but is now becoming popular because of its glossy leaves and abundant blooms. They are excellent plants for home gardens and landscaped areas since they need very little care and attention.
Plant Characteristics
Lemonia plants have thick, brown, sturdy, and flexible stems that are well-branched, growing to a height of 2-3 meters.
These stems are smooth with the upper tips having a reddish tinge to them. Lemonia plants are usually thick and well-rounded, covered with leaves and pink flowers in the blooming season.
Leaves are dark green and sometimes variegated with green and yellow coloration. They are 20-25 cm long, each leaf having 3 distinct leaflets arranged close to each other.
Leaves have smooth margins and a glossy appearance. Even when the plant is not flowering, the dark green, glossy leaves keep the plant elegant and pretty.
Beautiful, tubular pink flowers are a notable feature of the Lemonia plant, each flower about 4-6 cm long. Flowers are produced in abundance during spring and summer, when the entire plant is dotted with bright pink flowers in small clusters.|
Lemonia flowers have 5 petals, four of them fused and pointing downwards, and one pointing upwards. White-colored stamens are clearly visible outside the flowers as small horn-like projections.
Petals have a slightly grainy texture with small bumps seen all over them.
These beautiful Lemonia plants, with their abundance of flowers, attract pollinators like butterflies, bees, insects, and small animals into the garden.
Though these plants are capable of producing fruits and seeds, they are not commonly seen in garden plants. Hence propagation is mostly through stem cuttings.
Gardening Tips
Lemonia plants thrive in bright, direct sunlight and warm humid weather. The soil should be well-draining and nutritious if you need the plants to grow and flower well. Watering should be done regularly when the plant is small, and also during hot, summer months.
Remember that plants growing directly in the ground are more drought-tolerant than those growing in pots. Depending on the size of the pot, all plants need watering regularly during the summer months.
You can reduce watering and fertilization during the rainy season and in winter, when most plants hibernate.
Pruning will help keep the plant bushy and well-rounded. Though Lemonias are resistant to pests, they can be attacked by aphids and mealy bugs. These should be removed by treating the plants with neem oil or soap solution.
Fertilize with compost, or animal manure once in 2-3 weeks, especially during growing and flowering season. These plants do not do well indoors since they need good, direct sunlight.
Uses of Lemonia
Lemonia plants are good ornamentals for home gardens and urban landscaped areas. They can be grown in the ground or in pots, shaped as hedge plants or just allowed to grow bushy and rounded, in all their natural glory.
These plants are good for butterfly gardens since they bloom in plenty attracting pollinators to them. Their bushy growing habitat provides shade and shelter to birds, insects, and small animals.
Propagation
Propagation is through stem cuttings since most plants do not produce fruits and seeds.
Take 20-30 cm long cuttings from a healthy plant and dip their ends in rooting hormone, before planting them in moist, well-drained soil.
Photographed at: Mantri Hills, Bangalore; Manyata Tech Park, Bangalore
