Memecylon caeruleum Jack 1820, commonly called Blue Strawberry Flower, because of its strange blue flowers, is a broad-leafed, tropical shrub or small tree, native to Thailand (Andaman Islands) Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietanam, Cambodia, Tibet and South China (Hainan, Yunnan).

The small shrubby tree can reach a height of up to about 12 meters. The blue strawberry flower has been named and described by the Scotish botanist William Jack (1795 – 1822) in 1820, just 2 years before his untimely passing. In 1818 William Jack accompanied Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (1781 – 1826), the founder of Singapore with a big interest in botany and zoology, for an expedition to Sumatra,the sixth largest island in the world, where he extensively documented the rich flora of the island. The stunning blue strawberry flowers get a size of less than 1 cm.
Flowering period: April - August.

© Orchids Flowers.com
Image: Blue Strawberry Flower (Memecylon caeruleum)