Leea rubra

I like the leaf pattern, the red stem and the crimson red of the flowers. Like all the plants in the Hortpark, this one is in perfect health.

Leea Rubra

I like flowering shrubs like this Leea Rubra shrub growing in the HortPark. Healthy, full of blooms and thick well-shaped leaves. I feel so happy for this plant because it is thriving in an environment that provides it with great care and nurture. Not many plants are this fortunate. They live but life could be better for them. If they are free from pests and disease, it is not so bad an existence on their own. It is when they are invaded by disease that it becomes a pitiful sight. In the HortPark, I like to believe that the plants are checked regularly and their well-being taken care of and that they are not pulled out and thrown out to be replace by others.

Red Tree Shrub

Leea rubra

This shrub is also found in Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. I saw this plant growing in a large pot along the corridor of a shop house in the Chinatown area in one of my wanderings amongst old buildings that have been designated as conservation structures. The next time I saw it was in the neighbourhood and subsequently I came across this shrub in the Botanic Gardens.