Jungle geranium

“Faya lobi” – “hot love” in Sranan: the scarlet flower clusters of this shrub are Suriname’s national flower.

The jungle geranium is an evergreen shrub of the coffee family, growing to 1–2 m, with leathery, glossy leaves. For most of the year it bears dense, rounded clusters of small, tubular flowers in scarlet or orange, more rarely yellow or pink. It originates from India and Sri Lanka but has become a popular ornamental and hedging plant throughout the tropics. Its flowers are eagerly visited by butterflies and hummingbirds, and its roots and leaves are used in traditional Asian medicine.

Significance in the country

The red faya lobi is Suriname’s national flower and a symbol of love and passion; it grows in almost every garden and park, and its Sranan name is known to everyone in the country.

Where it grows

Planted in gardens, parks and around houses throughout the coastal belt – most often in Paramaribo and the surrounding districts.

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