Terminalia catappa

Indian Almond, Kamani, Myrobalan

Message of the Flower

Spiritual Aspiration

The Mother’s Comment

Rises like an arrow without caring for obstacles or laggards.

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

We can, simply by a sincere aspiration, open a sealed door in us and find… that Something which will change the whole significance of life, reply to all our questions, solve all our problems and lead us to the perfection we aspire for without knowing it, to that Reality which alone can satisfy us and give us lasting joy, equilibrium, strength, life.

All this you have heard many a time.

You have heard it—Oh! There are even some here who are so used to it that for them it seems to be the same thing as drinking a glass of water or opening a window to let in the sunlight.

We have tried a little, but now we are going to try seriously!

The starting-point: to want it, truly want it, to need it. The next step: to think, above all, of that. A day comes, very quickly, when one is unable to think of anything else.

That is the one thing which counts. And then…

One formulates one's aspiration, lets the true prayer spring up from one's heart, the prayer which expresses the sincerity of the need. And then… well, one will see what happens.

The Mother, Questions and Answers 1957 - 1958: 13 August 1958

Colour

White

Family

Combretaceae

Person who named the flower

Carolus Linnaeus

Flower Size

Small, inconspicuous

Flower Texture

Smooth

Number of Petals

Petals are not a prominent feature

Floral Symmetry

Radial

Fragrance of Flower

Fragrance not reported

Leaf Texture

Glossy, leathery

Leaf Arrangement

Whorled

Leaf Color

Green, turns red in dry season

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Large deciduous tree

Life Cycle

Perennial

Blooming Period

Spring to early summer

Climate

Tropical and subtropical

Water Requirements

Moderate, drought-tolerant

Soil Type

Well-drained

Temperature Ranges

Tropical range, not frost-tolerant

Sun or Shade

Full sun

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Generally pest-resistant, prone to leaf spot

Pollinators

Attracts various insects

Habitat

Coastal and lowland areas near the sea

Role in the Ecosystem

Provides shade and windbreak, seeds eaten by birds

Quotations

Associated with various local myths

Ornamental

Nuts used in cooking

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Not endangered

Endangered Status

Sensitive to cold temperatures