DAY 105 (19 JULY) – Beauty of the night (Mirabilis jalapa) (Vejer, Spain)
Nestling at the foot of a palm tree, this wasn’t the most gorgeous plant I’ve seen (in spite of its name), but what I noticed were the flowers in two totally different colours.
It’s native to tropical South America and also known as ‘Four o’clock flower’ because its flowers open in the late afternoon, at dusk or in cloudy weather. Then it produces a strong sweet fragrance that lasts all night.
I saw one of my Spanish cousins today, who said he’d noticed a flower that smelt especially lovely in nearby Conil. It’s known locally as don Diego de noche and was the same one I photographed. Must have been telepathy.
365 DAYS OF NATURE 