Moment in the sun

While Singaporeans struggle with the soaring heat and the dry spell, yellow saraca trees - like this one at Marine Cove in East Coast Park - have bloomed in celebration of the arid weather.

Mirroring the colours of the sun, the tree's orange, yellow and golden flowers bloom heavily after pronounced hot and dry weather.

The slightly fragrant, petal-less flowers, which are about 1cm to 2cm across, attract masses of nectar-feeding sunbirds and bees. The flowers' colours come from their sepals. As the flowers mature, they develop a dark red eye.

The evergreen tree, also known as Saraca thaipingensis, is native to Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia.

The tree, which is often cultivated for its attractive ornamental flowers, can be found in several parks and gardens in Singapore.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 06, 2019, with the headline Moment in the sun. Subscribe