Champak or Golden Champa is called Atigandhaka, Bhringmohi, Champaka, Hemanga, Hemapuspaka, Deepapushpa in Sanskrit, Champa in Hindi and Bengali, Amariyam in Tamil, Kendasampige in Kannada, Chembakam in Malayalam, Campangi in Telugu and Sonchampa in Marathi. In Oriya we call it Champa too. Its Botanical Name is (Magnolia) Michelia champaca.
It’s a tall, evergreen tree, usually up to 30 m high. Leaves are ovate to lanceolate, coriaceous. The flowers are yellow or orange, wonderfully fragrant, solitary; Fruits are 5-10 cm long, ripe capsules ovoid or ellipsoid, with woody valves. Champak tree bears large numbers of small cream yellow and orange yellow blooms over a long period. The trees bloom once during the monsoon and again in spring. When fully in bloom, the trees are covered with thousands of golden yellow flowers which reigns the air all around with a powerful and diffusive fragrance.
It’s a member of the magnolia family and a native of the temperate Himalayan region. However, it is now found distributed throughout tropical and subtropical Asia. In India the flowers are collected for perfumery, decorative, ornamental, religious purpose.
The flowers from this tree are used to make the world famous most expensive perfume 'Joy'(Jean Patou 1935). Champak absolute blends well with most oils. The floral extracts are also used for aromatherapy and for meditation; its uses are similar to that of Ylang Ylang. This beautiful, heavenly scented flower is used often in worship. The tree is often found in temple precincts in India.
Planting a Champak or Michelia tree either indoors or in backyard really makes your home and the whole atmosphere always scented and peaceful. Michelia, the name has been given after the Florentine botanist Pietro Antonio Micheli (1679–1737).
Different parts of the plant, flowers and seeds etc. are used for various medicinal purposes. The Flowers are bitter, demulcent, antipyretic, diuretic; useful in scabies, leprosy and gonorrhoea; mixed with sweet oil applied in eczema. Decoction of flowers or oil of the seeds considered useful in flatulence. Fruits are beneficial in dyspepsia and in renal disease. Champa oil from flowers finds application in gout. Seeds and fruits are applied for healing cracks in feet. Dried root and root bark are employed to clear bowels and in menstruation troubles. It’s a natural Coolant. It is used to cure Urinary tract infection, Leprosy, Cough, Abdominal disorders, Amenorrhoea, Dysmenorrhoea, Loss of appetite, Anorexia, Cardiac debility, Burning sensation in skin, skin diseases, Inflammation Amenorrhoea, Dysmenorrhoea, Worm infestation, Fever, General weakness, Toxicity.
As children we were often warned not to go near Champak tree. Elders frightened us with a warning that there might be snakes in it being attracted with its extremely fragrant flowers. It was baseless. I found it later. The flower with its colour, petals, fragrance is simply heavenly. Plant a champak tree in your front or backyard; wait and let it come to bloom; then see the change all around it. The whole vicinity seems perfumed.
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