Giloy - a gift

My parents always bring plants and seeds for us when they visit or give them when we visit them. Most of them do not survive the heat of Ahmedabad. But one did. And this one taught me the importance of growing native plants, that suit Indian conditions. 

This plant is called Giloy (गिलोई). It has several ayurvedic benefits, the most important one being to keep recurring fever in check. This makes it very useful for curing dengue. In recent years, the demand for it has increased as people have realised it's effectiveness for dengue. Aptly, it flourishes in the monsoon and grows everywhere. 

Mom gave me a stem cutting from her collection the day I was leaving after a visit. I kept it in my bag. And then promptly forgot about it when I got back home! I only remembered 4 days later. I wasnt sure whether it would still survive, but it did strike. Within a week of planting, it produced two leaves. 

And when the monsoon came in full swing, it grew really quickly and climbed the drip irrigation pipe.