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Shy ‘powder-puff’ tree comes into bloom only after dark

The indigenous Taiwanese tree species Barringtonia racemos is known to many, but few could accurately describe what the tree really looks like.

One reason is that its flowers open by night in a ghostly display in the dark. Bihu Park, in the Neihu District of Taipei City, has a path running from the Bridge of Nine Turns toward the public restrooms, with seven of these trees alongside, currently in full bloom.

As evening draws down upon the park, the fragrance spreads out and the flowers burst open. The stamens are long and dense, like a hail of arrows, and the sight is a beautiful and worthwhile one.

The Office of Streetlights and Public Parks in Taipei has been emphasizing the propagation of local varieties of trees and grasses in recent years. In the future, Xinsheng Park will be home to a dozen-odd Barringtonia racemos trees, in the area next to the eco-pond. The Arts Park will also receive a share of these plants.

Barringtonia racemos, known in the West as “the powder-puff tree,” is commonly called "smoke on the water" in Chinese. The tree is distributed from Yilan, Keelung and Jinshan southward to the Hengchun peninsula, and is listed as a vulnerable species. It is used as a windbreak in coastal areas, or as an ornamental tree in gardens.

The tree blooms between May and February, during which its flowers hang straight down, reaching lengths of a meter. Each sprig can be composed of 20 or more individual flowers, with blooms that can be red, pink, light yellow, milk-white or snow-white.

However, they only open at night, and close right before dawn. The blooms on one stem open in order from top to bottom, and 10 or more are often seen opening at the same moment. Each bloom has tiny stamen filaments that give it the appearance of smoke and fill the air with a light yet heady fragrance.

The tree also has medicinal uses; its roots can be used to treat "hot" diseases in Chinese medicine, while its leaves are good for curing itchy skin. The fruits of the tree are good against coughs and diarrhea, and the seeds can help lessen pain.

(This article originally appeared in The Liberty Times Aug. 24.)