Castanospermum australe

Australian Chestnut, Black Bean, Moreton Bay Chestnut

Message of the Flower

Mind of Light Acting in Matter

The Mother’s Comment

A powerful aid to progress.

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

A new humanity means for us the appearance, the development of a type or race of mental beings whose principle of mentality would be no longer a mind in the Ignorance seeking for knowledge but even in its knowledge bound to the Ignorance, a seeker after Light but not its natural possessor, open to the Light but not an inhabitant of the Light, not yet a perfected instrument, truth-conscious and delivered out of the Ignorance. Instead, it would be possessed already of what could be called a mind of Light, a mind capable of living in the truth, capable of being truth-conscious and manifesting in its life a direct in place of an indirect knowledge.

Sri Aurobindo, Essays in Philosophy and Yoga: Mind of Light

Colour

Golden yellow to orange or reddish-orange

Family

Fabaceae

Person who named the flower

Sir James Edward Smith

Flower Size

Up to 3 cm long

Flower Texture

Smooth

Number of Petals

Five

Floral Symmetry

Bilateral symmetry

Fragrance of Flower

Slightly fragrant

Leaf Texture

Glossy

Leaf Arrangement

Alternate

Leaf Color

Dark green

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Tree

Life Cycle

Perennial

Blooming Period

Spring to early summer

Climate

Subtropical to tropical climates

Water Requirements

Moderate, requires well-drained soil

Soil Type

Prefers fertile, well-drained soils

Temperature Ranges

Does not tolerate frost

Sun or Shade

Prefers full sun to partial shade

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Generally resistant to pests, but can be affected by root rot if over-watered

Pollinators

Bees and birds are attracted to its flowers

Habitat

Native to the coastal rainforests of eastern Australia

Role in the Ecosystem

Provides habitat and food for wildlife, particularly for birds that feed on its seeds

Ornamental

Widely grown as an ornamental tree for its attractive flowers and foliage

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Mainly ornamental and for reforestation projects

Endangered Status

Not currently listed as endangered