Most of us know this large vine with its sandpaper-like leaves as a profusely flowering plant with lovely flowers borne in racemes up to one foot long. Not many know it as a small tree even more exquisite than its relative. The vine form is known under various common names such as Queen's Wreath, Sandpaper Vine, Purple Wreath, Blue Bird Vine, Fleur de Dieu. It is often called the ‘tropical wisteria’ for its resemblance to the magnificent temperate climate vine that Mother named, 'Poet’s Ecstasy’. The last, the ‘Flower of God’ is particularly apt, as the Mother has revealed to us that it has the power to heal. The color of the flowers is especially beautiful, a soft purple with contrasting calyces a light lavender.
Petrea was named in honor of Lord Petre, a baron from Essex who was a patron of botany and a famous collector of exotic plants. The flower has five petals and does not last as long as the calcyes which can be seen on the plant for days. It is the combination that so attracts the eye but if we could enter the vibration of the flower it would teach us its healing qualities.
Petrea is a member of the Verbenaceae family of which Mother has named a number of flowers. The plant is native to Mexico and Central America is an evergreen.
Narad (Richard Eggenberger)
Copyright 2016