Butterfly Garden (VII)

Sweet potato

silvery wormwood

Sweet Potato
Ipomoea batatas

Easily cultivated, the sweet potato used to be the staple food in Singapore during wartime, when water was scarce and rice was difficult to grow or import. Its leaves are heart-shaped, and are often variegated with dark purple patches.
But do not be misled by its common name as Sweet Potato is more closely related to Morning Glory (which is in the same family) than the common “white” potato.

Silvery wormwood
Artemisia argyi

Don’t underestimate this plant which looks like a weed. Native to China and Japan, Artemisia argyi is used as a common traditional medicine with “warm” properties , and is often used to treat liver, spleen and kidney-associated ailments. Resilient, they actually survive better and are more aromatic when they grow on poor, dry soil. Its leaves and flowers have antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. Some research suggests that flavones extracted from it can potentially be used in cancer treatment.

Mango Tree
Mangifera indica

While this one in the butterfly garden is still in its infancy, mature trees bearing fruits can be found behind the Clock Tower and the science labs. The fruits borne are usually consumed by visiting birds and scampering squirrels - a common sight on the mango trees.

Kumquat
Citrus japonica

The fruit of this plant looks like a baby cousin of the mandarin orange. In Chinese culture, the plant is said to bring wealth, prosperity and good luck, so it is not uncommon to see families purchasing a pair of them to place in their homes just before Chinese New Year. Unlike mandarin oranges, however, the pulp inside may be slightly tart. Its rind is sweet, thus the fruit is often candied or made into preserves.

Black Face General
Strobilanthes crispus

Do not underestimate this plant because of its inconspicuous flowers! The plant has been in the limelight recently for the antioxidant and anticancer properties of its leaf extracts and may even help with diabetes!

Tapioca
Manihot esculenta

This recognisable plant with its “hand-shaped” leaf has storage roots that make it an important food crop. Rich in starch, the tubers are used to make tapioca. Cooking is required to break down the toxic compounds it uses to defend itself. It is not only bitter when raw, but also makes a good poison: as little as two cassava roots can be fatal.

White Mulberry
Morus alba

White Mulberry is a fast-growing, deciduous tree with alternate, toothy leaves. It is the primary species on which silkworms are bred to produce silk. Its juicy purplish berries are also edible too! The leaves have wide-ranging medicinal effects and are used to treat diabetes, amongst other diseases.

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