Aboli / Crossandra/ Firecracker/ Kanakambaram are all names of the same flower. The flowers are unusually shaped with 3 to 5 asymmetrical petals. The flowers are found in shades of yellow, orange, coral and sometimes even purple. The flowers, though not fragrant, are very attractive, and so this is one plant that no garden should miss. The buds look as beautiful as the flowers. This is a perfect plant to add beauty and colour to any garden. I have two different colours of aboli growing in my garden – coral and deep orange.
Aboli plant is an evergreen plant and blooms throughout the year. They have multiple blooms at any given point of time. The flowers stay fresh for several days on the plant.
The plant is propagated by seeds. The seeds get transferred by wind. If you have an aboli plant in your garden, the dry seeds fall on their own into the pots or adjoining pots and you will have many aboli plants coming up.
It is very easy to maintain this plant. The plants are sometimes vulnerable to mealy bugs, aphids and mites. The plant should be treated when you see the first sign of infestation. You can initially start by spraying neem water on the plant for few days. Generally, neem water helps to get rid of the problem. But in case, it does not work, then you can spray pesticides on the plant.
Happy Gardening !!
