Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) Blooms in Kudremukh Hills

Key facts

• A rare blue-violet flower resembling Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) has bloomed along trekking trails in Kudremukh, Karnataka.
• The species grows in high-altitude shola-grassland ecosystems of the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and biodiversity hotspot.
• Neelakurinji is known for its 12-year mass flowering cycle, with the 2026 bloom described as scattered and limited unlike the large blooms of 2022 and 2023.
• The species was assessed for the first time in 2026 and classified as threatened on the IUCN Red List.
• It grows at altitudes between 1,300 and 2,400 metres in the Western Ghats.
• Peak flowering in Kerala is expected in September-October 2026 on Chokramudi slopes in Bison Valley.
• The Muthuvan tribal community uses the term 'kallappoov' for scattered blooms, highlighting traditional ecological knowledge.