This guided trail will explore karvi flowers in Goregaon as they return after eight years

Forests come alive in the monsoon Every seven to eight years in the Western Ghats a similar phenomenon emerges with the karvi flower Scientifically named strobilanthes callosa they are currently in full bloom across this mountain range Fortunately for Mumbaikars these plants also have homes across several green lungsThis weekend the Mumbai Musafir community will host a guided karvi trail in one such popular spot near the Film City inside the Conservation Education Centre of the Bombay Natural History Society ldquoKarvi flowers are endemic to the Western Ghatsrdquo explains Shailesh Gupta a professor at Bhavanrsquos College Andheri and senior naturalist at Mumbai MusafirShailesh Gupta at the karvi flower patch in CEC BNHSldquoThe last bloom was in 2016 and the flowers have returned for another season now in 2024 After the mass flowering every seventh or eighth year the shrubs dry out and dierdquo adds founder Preeti Bhardwaj While these flowers have great ecological value by attracting pollinators they have an equally important cultural value ldquoWhen the plant flowers it gives us what is one of the costliest honey varieties called karvi honeyThe dry plant stores seeds in pods Pic CourtesyPrabha PillaiAnd when it dries out several Adivasi communities in Maharashtra Gujarat and some parts of Madhya Pradesh make huts of the dry plantrsquos stalksrdquo Gupta reveals This trail he adds will discover many such fun facts about these flowers that paint the Western Ghats lavender ldquoWe will further talk about the various species of flora and fauna that come to life in monsoonrdquo Bhardwaj addsOn Tomorrow and September 28 745 am to 10 amAt BNHS CEC near Film City Goregaon WestLog on to mumbai_musafir Message 9833173564Cost Rs 1150Cool karvi factsgtgt These plants grow gregariously in continuous patchesgtgt They usually grow on slopes of mountains or forest floorsgtgt The flowers attract many pollinators especially honey bees and butterfliesgtgt These plants are not only endemic themselves but as they grow in masses they also protect other endemic speciesgtgt They usually grow up to 6 ft in height and abovegtgt Karvi honey tastes a tad bitter and while it hasnrsquot been proven scientifically many believe it to have medicinal valuesgtgt They flower during the months of September and October The capsule on plants which carry seeds in them burst next year in June after rain begins resulting in a new population of Karvigtgt Their seeds are encapsulated in pods When they imbibe rain water these burst open with a pop It is not a loud sound but since these plants are gregarious and grow in masses they make a fascinating feeble sound when seeds are released together Thatrsquos how new colonies of karvi saplings appeargtgt Avoid rubbing the leaves of these plants in between your fingers They have trichomes or hairlike structures that may be allergic The leaves release a scent that could make one feel nauseous after the nature trailgtgt Look out for leeches during monsoon and ticks in DecemberBy Prabha Pillai botanist