What do you do when you’ve got the inkling for something sweet? These days, it’s probably to go down to the mama shop (or maybe not even. 7-11?) and pick up a roll of mints or fruit pastilles. However, instead of spending a dollar for a sweet sensation on your tongue, take a tip from the past as yg shows you how can get a free sweet buzz using your local flowers:

so, what about the ixora? well, we used to suck the nectar from the base of the individual flowers. it was one way to quench our thirst and at the same time provided us energy because it was sweet. the small flower has a tube. inside this tube is a filament. we would remove the filament and suck at the base of this tube to get the sweet juice (nectar?).

many of my contemporaries have also tasted the nectar of the ixora. some would remove the whole bunch and suck at them. some tell me that hibiscus flowers – which i have never tried – also provide sweet nectar.

Yes, the native ixora is a source for natural sweets – and best of all, it’s quite a common plant. Try asking your parents and grandparents about the local sweets that grew around them – you’ll be surprised to find out what kind of sweets existed in the natural world. Read yg’s account of extracting nectar from the ixora here.

Note: Remember that not all plants are safe to consume! If you’re not sure about the plant, it’s better to be safe than sorry and don’t touch it! Always ask someone who’s in the know before trying to extract nectar from plants.