Bunga Tasbih - striking flower with benefits

Bunga Tasbih (scientific name: canna indica linn) grows easily in our tropical climate and has a low maintenance.  It can be planted either in containers or in the ground and will flower in either method. However, when planting in a container, it needs to be planted in a big container of at least 30cm in diameter to ensure good growth.  There are many varieties of this plant and the one that we have at the farm has red flowers.  The leaves have a red rim along the outer edges.

This plant is a perennial and a healthy plant will flourish and produce baby plants.  These plants can be separated and re-planted.  You can also propagate them from the tuber.  It is a hardy plant that loves lover but soil with good drainage.  It can grow to about 2m tall and a healthy plant will produce big leaves.  It can be grown in full sun or semi-shade.  It requires little fertilisation.  On plants that I grow in the ground, my chickens provide the fertiliser.  On plants that I grown in containers, I start with a rich organic soil and top wth a mixture of mulch and chicken manure once every3-4 months.

For home landscape, I suggest that it is planted in containers or in a bordered planting bed to control the spread of growth.

In traditional medicine, the tuber is used for treatment of hypertension, high blood pressure, haemorrhoid,  inflamed liver as well as for high fever.  The root tuber is sliced and boiled and consumed as a drink.  The tuber is also turned into a paste and used in skin care for reducing or treating acne and general skin care.

As the flower matures and die off, it produces seeds which when fully matured, can be dried out and used to create a rosary or tasbih, a reflection of the Malay name: Bunga Tasbih which translated to English is Rosary Flower.