Chandelier Flower Mandala with Leaves, Blooms, and Fruit

Just before the leaves of Chandelier flower shrub drop off they turn bright orange and I ripped some up to form the uneven circle in this collage. It combines green leaves and unfurling dark purple young leaves for a contrast in colors.  I made it on moss with a split open pitch apple just off center with a few unopened pitch apples and handfuls of Brazilian cherries and Suriname cherries that grow on the property here with a few of the first Bing cherries from California. I also added wild calamansi limes that grow wild along the road.

These yellow-orange limes are native to the Philippines and are also known as calamondin and are a citrus hybrid between a Mandarin orange and kumquat. They have an intensely tart fruity taste and are used as a souring agent in Southeast Asian cuisine adding an essential acidic kick to many dishes such as creamy coconut curries and curry noodle laksa. I also added multi-colored anthurium flowers, a  vivid pink hibiscus blossom and baby green guava from our tree in the backyard—Hawaiian bounty!