This month, the Makiling Botanic Gardens features a remarkable climbing plant known for one of nature’s most elegant seed dispersal mechanisms: kabatete (Alsomitra macrocarpa (Blume) Roem.), a member of the Cucurbitaceae family that produces winged seeds capable of gliding through the forest canopy. Where It Grows Kabatete is native to…
This month, the Makiling Botanic Gardens features a versatile climbing vine that has served communities across the tropics in multiple ways: pukingan (Centrosema molle Mart. Ex Benth.), a member of the Fabaceae family native to the United States of America that has spread across tropical regions worldwide. Growth Habit and…
This month, the Makiling Botanic Gardens features a plant that might assault your nose before catching your eye: kantutan (Paederia foetida L.), a vine from the Rubiaceae family with a pungent reputation and a long history of traditional uses across Asia. A Name That Tells a Story The scientific name…
This month, the Makiling Botanic Gardens features a striking ornamental shrub that catches the eye with its color-changing flowers and glossy foliage: kopsia (Kopsia fruticosa (Roxb.) A.DC.), a member of the Apocynaceae family that has found a home in gardens across the tropics. Origins and Name Kopsia is native to…
This month, the Makiling Botanic Gardens features a plant that embodies the remarkable diversity of Philippine flora: pingol-bato (Begonia nigritarum (Kamel) Steud.), a stunning endemic begonia that has served both culinary and medicinal purposes for generations. Where It Grows Pingol-bato is a creeping plant that grows in moist or damp…