Ixora chinensis

Chinese Ixora, Jungle Flame, Jungle Geranium

Message of the Flower

Psychic Aspiration

The Mother’s Comment

Constant, regular, organised, gentle, and patient at the same time, resists all opposition, overcomes all difficulties.

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

There is no deep meaning of aspiration—the meaning is plain. It is the call of the being for higher things—for the Divine, for all that belongs to the higher or Divine Consciousness.

Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga - II: Aspiration

This taste for supreme adventure is aspiration–an aspiration which takes hold of you completely and flings you, without calculation and without reserve and without a possibility of withdrawal, into the great adventure of the divine discovery, the great adventure of the divine meeting, the yet greater adventure of the divine Realisation.

The Mother, Questions and Answers 1956: 25 January 1956

Aspiration is like an arrow, like this (gesture). So you aspire, want very earnestly to understand, know, enter into the truth. Yes? And then with that aspiration you do this (gesture). Your aspiration rises, rises, rises, rises straight up, very strong and then it strikes against a kind of… how to put it?… lid which is there, hard like iron and extremely thick, and it does not pass through. And then you say, "See, what's the use of aspiring? It brings nothing at all. I meet with something hard and cannot pass!" But you know about the drop of water which falls on the rock, it ends up by making a chasm: it cuts the rock from top to bottom. Your aspiration is a drop of water which, instead of falling, rises. So, by dint of rising, it beats, beats, beats, and one day it makes a hole, by dint of rising; and when it makes the hole suddenly it springs out from this lid and enters an immensity of light, and you say, "Ah, now I understand."

The Mother, Questions and Answers 1955: 13 July 1955

Colour

Pink

Family

Rubiaceae

Cultivars

Several, including 'Compacta', 'Pink Malay', and 'Sunset'

Person who named the flower

Carl Linnaeus

Flower Size

Clusters can reach several inches across, with individual flowers being relatively small.

Flower Texture

Smooth and slightly waxy.

Number of Petals

Four

Floral Symmetry

Radially symmetrical.

Fragrance of Flower

Mildly fragrant.

Leaf Texture

Glossy and leathery.

Leaf Arrangement

Opposite.

Leaf Color

Deep green.

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Shrub.

Life Cycle

Perennial in appropriate climates.

Blooming Period

Blooms year-round in tropical climates; summer to fall in subtropical regions.

Climate

Tropical and subtropical.

Water Requirements

Moderate; prefers well-drained soil and regular watering but can tolerate short dry periods.

Soil Type

Prefers slightly acidic to neutral, well-drained soil.

Temperature Ranges

Thrives in temperatures above 60F (15C); not frost-tolerant.

Sun or Shade

Prefers full sun to partial shade.

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Susceptible to scale insects, spider mites, and fungal diseases in humid conditions.

Pollinators

Attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

Habitat

Native to tropical Asia; cultivated in gardens and landscapes worldwide in suitable climates.

Role in the Ecosystem

Provides nectar for pollinators.

Ornamental

Widely used as an ornamental plant for its attractive flowers and foliage.

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Mainly ornamental.

Endangered Status

Not listed as endangered; widely cultivated.