Mesua ferrea
| Ceylon ironwood | |
|---|---|
| |
| Ceylon ironwood in Thelwatta, South-East Sri Lanka. | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Calophyllaceae |
| Genus: | Mesua |
| Species: | M. ferrea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Mesua ferrea | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Mesua coromandelina Wight | |
Mesua ferrea, the Sri Lankan ironwood, Indian rose chestnut, or cobra's saffron, is a species in the family Calophyllaceae. This slow-growing tree is named after the heaviness and hardness of its timber. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental due to its graceful shape, grayish-green foliage with a beautiful pink to red flush of drooping young leaves, and large, fragrant white flowers. It is native to wet, tropical parts of Sri Lanka, South India.
