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Trochetia boutoniana at Conservatoire botanique national de Brest Botanical Conservatory of Brest Native name Conservatoire botanique national de Brest Location Brest , France Coordinates 48° 24′ 10.35″ N, 4° 26′ 53.58″

Ruizia boutoniana

In its own language: boucle d'oreille

Mauritius’s national flower, a rare red-and-white bell-shaped bloom

Photo: This illustration was made by Citron You must credit this : Citron / C, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ruizia boutoniana is a shrub native only to Mauritius, with dark red bell-shaped flowers on a white background. It grows up to 3 metres tall and blooms from June to October, but survives in the wild only on Le Morne Brabant’s slopes.

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  • Endemic only to Mauritius
  • National flower since 1992
  • Flowers June to October
  • Grows only on Le Morne Brabant
  • Bell-shaped red-and-white blooms

What does Ruizia boutoniana look like?

This shrub can grow as tall as 3 metres. Its oval leaves have a leathery underside, an adaptation to dry conditions, and small leaf-like stipules at their base. The flowers are bell-shaped, asymmetrical, and measure 5 to 6 cm across. Each has deep red petals set against a white background. After flowering, it forms a round capsule holding up to ten black seeds.

Where does Ruizia boutoniana come from?

Ruizia boutoniana grows nowhere else in the world except Mauritius. Originally placed in the genus Trochetia, it was moved to Ruizia in 2020 after taxonomic revision. It was named in honour of French botanist Louis Bouton. Though first successfully grown from seed in cultivation in 1973 by Joseph Gueho, its wild populations remain extremely limited.

When and how Ruizia boutoniana blooms

In its natural habitat, this plant flowers between June and October. It thrives on the rocky slopes of Le Morne Brabant, where dry conditions suit its xerophytic traits. Regeneration in the wild is poor, partly because introduced monkeys eat the flower buds before they open. Conservation efforts have enabled it to be grown outside its native site.

Trochetia boutoniana at Conservatoire botanique national de Brest
Trochetia boutoniana at Conservatoire botanique national de Brest. Photo: This illustration was made by Citron You must credit this : Citron / C, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How Ruizia boutoniana is used

Since 1992, Ruizia boutoniana has served as the national flower of Mauritius. It appears frequently on the country’s postage stamps. Locally known as boucle d’oreille, it is valued as a symbol of national identity and is sometimes cultivated in gardens for its striking appearance.

What Ruizia boutoniana means

The plant holds official status as Mauritius’s national emblem. Its rarity and restricted range make it a focus of conservation interest. Despite its limited natural distribution, it has become a recognizable national symbol through stamps and public recognition.

Questions people ask about Ruizia boutoniana

Where does Ruizia boutoniana come from?

It is found only in Mauritius, specifically on the slopes of Le Morne Brabant, and grows nowhere else in the world.

What does Ruizia boutoniana look like?

It is a shrub up to 3 m tall with oval, leathery-backed leaves and asymmetrical bell-shaped flowers that are dark red on a white background.

Why is it rare in the wild?

Its natural regeneration is weak, and introduced monkeys eat the flower buds before they can open and set seed.

What is its significance in Mauritius?

It has been the national flower of Mauritius since 1992 and often appears on the country’s postage stamps.

When does it bloom?

In Mauritius, it flowers from June to October, during the cooler, drier part of the year.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Ruizia boutoniana", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes. It is not medical or foraging advice: many flowers are poisonous, and traditional uses are reported, not recommended. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.

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The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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