Strobilanthes kunthiana

Neela Kurinji is a blue bell-shaped flower found on the hilly slopes of the Western Ghats at an altitude between 6000 and 7000 feet. The unique feature of this tall bushy shrub is that it blooms only once in 12 years. Eravikulam National Park is famous for the flower, which will next bloom in 2018.

During that rare event the entire plant is covered with bright flowers from August through November, giving the Nilgiri Mountains (Blue Mountains) their name.