Cordia sebestena

Orange Geiger Tree, Sebestena

Message of the Flower

Adoration

The Mother’s Comment

Manifold, smiling, regular, it offers itself tirelessly.

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

Worship is only the first step on the path of devotion. Where external worship changes into the inner adoration, real Bhakti begins; that deepens into the intensity of divine love; that love leads to the joy of closeness in our relations with the Divine; the joy of closeness passes into the bliss of union.

Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis of Yoga - II: Love and the Triple Path

The aim of Yoga being union, its beginning must always be a seeking after the Divine, a longing after some kind of touch, closeness or possession. When this comes on us, the adoration becomes always primarily an inner worship; we begin to make ourselves a temple of the Divine, our thoughts and feelings a constant prayer of aspiration and seeking, our whole life an external service and worship.

Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis of Yoga - II: The Way of Devotion

In love for the Divine or for one whom one feels to be divine, the Bhakta feels an intense reverence for the Loved, a sense of something of immense greatness, beauty or value and for himself a strong impression of his own comparative unworthiness and a passionate desire to grow into likeness with that which one adores.

Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga - I: Philosophical Thought and Yoga

Colour

Orange

Family

Boraginaceae

Cultivars

Not widely known for cultivars.

Flower Size

Medium (about 1-2 inches in diameter)

Flower Texture

Smooth, slightly waxy

Number of Petals

Typically 5-7 petals

Floral Symmetry

Radially symmetrical

Fragrance of Flower

Mildly fragrant

Leaf Texture

Rough, with a coarse texture

Leaf Arrangement

Simple, opposite or whorled

Leaf Color

Dark green

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Small to medium-sized tree

Life Cycle

Perennial

Blooming Period

Year-round in tropical climates, most prolific in summer

Climate

Tropical to subtropical

Water Requirements

Moderate, drought-tolerant once established

Soil Type

Prefers well-drained soils

Temperature Ranges

Warm, frost-sensitive

Sun or Shade

Full sun to partial shade

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Susceptible to typical garden pests and diseases but generally robust

Pollinators

Attracts bees, butterflies, and birds

Habitat

Native to the American tropics, often planted in coastal and subtropical landscapes

Role in the Ecosystem

Provides food for pollinators

Ornamental

Highly valued for landscaping in suitable climates

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Primarily ornamental

Endangered Status

Not listed as endangered; widely cultivated