Exploring Pagoda and Hill Glory: Discovering the Tropical Cousins of Vervain

Aisha Moon
Aug 21
5 min read

Pagoda flower/Orange Tower flower — Pagoda flower (Orange Tower) in bloom

The Pagoda Flower and Hill Glory are Tropical Cousins of Vervain

Orange Tower and Hill Glory are two tropical flowers that are suitable for gardening because they are flamboyant and easy to grow. They thrive in the wilderness of the Asian region and catch the eyes of anyone with their bright orange and white floral abundance. Exploring the cultural relevance and anthropological meaning of these flowers can lead to surprising and amazing discoveries.

These two are the tropical cousins of Vervain, and no less magical than this quite famous relative from the temperate zone. The scientific name of the Orange Tower flower is Clerodendrum paniculatum. The other popular names are Pagoda Flower and Borneo Sunset. It is a native plant to Asia. Plants belonging to the Clerodendrum group are collectively known as witches’ tongues and are members of the Verbenaceae family, which is better known for its mystical member, the Vervain plant. As many of us know, Vervain has a long mythical history where it was consumed and used to ward off vampires and werewolves.

Plant Characteristics of Pagoda/Orange Tower Flower

The flowers of Orange Tower, a tropical perennial plant, are known to attract butterflies and hence in any tropical butterfly garden, it is a must addition. The Common Jezebel, Blue Mormon, and Malabar Raven butterflies are frequent visitors to these flowers. Swallowtails also swarm these flower clusters to collect honey from their tiny panicles. Plenty of moisture and filtered sunlight are the weather conditions for this plant to thrive. They grow up to 3-5 feet in a year and they can propagate through both branch cuttings and from rhizomes. One flower cluster will have hundreds of flowers in them. These tower-like flowers sometimes will grow to be one foot high. A paste made of the leaves of this plant is applied to wounds and burns as herbal medicine. Certain types of snakebites are treated with the roots of the Pagoda plant.

Pagoda and Hill Glory: Spiritual Importance of the Tropical Cousins of Vervain

Malaysian and Indonesian people believe in the spiritual powers of this plant, believing it can summon spirits. Malay hunters also are known to keep them with them to summon up the wild game when going on hunting expeditions. In traditional Malay weddings and other rituals, the flower bunches are used to sprinkle the sacred water upon the people around. The priest or the person in charge of the ceremony would dip the Pagoda flower in the sacred water and sprinkle water on the onlookers using the flower bunch.

It remains unexplained how three different plant species from the same family became associated with similar magical rituals among different cultures (Asians and Europeans). What is the connection between Vervain, Pagoda Flower, and Hill Glory, other than the fact that they belong to the same plant family? Why are the three of them believed to have magical powers and a connection with the unknown forces of mythology in a similar manner? Did this belief originate in a common place and then spread to different parts of the world to form unrelated belief systems? To probe these questions further, we will have to look deeper into plant migrations as well as ancient anthropological migrations and cultural exchanges, which is beyond the scope of this article.

The Hill Glory

Clerodendrum infortunatum, known as the Hill Glory plant, has a similar inflorescence to the Pagoda plant but is smaller and a different colour. It is a commonly used Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy herb. The place of origin is Malay Island. The flowers are white with a shade of pink inside and have a sweet fragrance similar to the jasmine flower. It is used as a herbal medicine for cough and skin problems because of its anti-inflammatory properties. The root, leaf, and stem extracts have a wide variety of medicinal uses, including the treatment of epilepsy, fever, jaundice, cirrhosis, and tumors. It is also used as a pesticide against the rhinoceros beetle which is a pest that attacks coconut trees.

Hill Glory: The Natural Toilet Paper

In India, the leaves of this plant have a unique use. They are used as toilet paper for newborn babies. It is probably the property of these leaves as a medicinal herb to kill the worms inside the human stomach that gave rise to this practice. Also, the leaves are velvety and super-soft, and the delicate skin around the anus of the newborn baby will remain safe with this natural toilet paper.

Pagoda Flower: The Crown of the Mythical Egalitarian King

Let me share a related story rich with socio-cultural and political connotations. Mahabali was an ancient mythical king who ruled Kerala, the South Indian state of India. During his reign, all citizens were equal and all prospered equally. He was an Asura king, Asura being the clan of evil powers as against Devas who are Gods in Hindu mythology.

Vishnu, the head of the clan of the Gods did not like it that under an Asura king, a kingdom prospered and all the subjects loved this Asura king. So he came in the form of a Brahmin child priest named Vamana, begging for alms. The social norm was that a member of the Brahmin community, which is a community of spiritual keepers of divine knowledge, should not be turned down if he asks for something. Also, the king’s benevolence knew no boundaries.

The king asked Vamana to make a wish. Vamana asked for some land and said that he would take only so much land that could be measured in 3 feet. The king happily permitted him to measure and take three feet of land wherever he needed it. Vamana then began to grow in size and soon towered over the palace and the tallest trees.

With his first measure of a foot, Vamana took the entire earth. With his second measure of a foot, he took the underworld. There was no more land left for the third measure of foot. So, the king asked him to put his foot on his head. Vamana, who was crafty and shrewd, used his foot to push the king down into ‘Paatal’, the dark underbelly of the earth and thus banished the king from his kingdom.

The Return of King Mahabali

The people of Kerala did not forget this benevolent king. When Mahabali begged Vamana to let him visit his people at least once a year, Vamana allowed Mahabali to visit his subjects on a specific day every year. This day is still the most joyous occasion in Kerala, the day of the Onam festival. People would prepare floral carpets in their courtyards to welcome Mahabali for ten consecutive days preceding Onam day every year in the local month of Chingam, which falls either in August or September.

On the last day of the festivities, they would make cube-shaped mud statuettes, which represent the king, decorate them with flowers, and worship them. The inflorescences of the pagoda flowers and Hill Glory are used to decorate the head of the statuettes and they would look like beautiful jewelled crowns in their orange-red and pink-white magnificence.

The story of Mahabali is interpreted as how the upper-caste Hindus controlled the lower-caste narratives. The mythical tale also is a reminder of a more just society that existed once. Mahabali is viewed as a lower-caste king who was demonised by the upper castes.

Like many other members of the plant kingdom, the Orange Tower and Hill Glory have made intricate human connections as herbs, magical cultural symbols, and aesthetic reminders of a time when all lived in harmony and peace. Being the tropical cousins of Vervain, they intrigue us with their shared mythical heritage. All these profound connections are what make our lives on earth a mystery and delightful thing.