The Hong Kong orchid tree, also known as bauhinia blakeana, is famous for being the emblem of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), featuring on the SAR's coins, as well as on the flag.

Wearing its purple-pink outfit with a slight touch of white, the tree's flower blooms for a long period and forms a flamboyant orchid shape. Despite its name, it's not an actual orchid but a tree that grows peas. Due to the resemblance of its flowers to orchids, the plant is commonly known as the "orchid tree."

Despite its fame, many people aren't familiar with its history.

Native to Hong Kong, the species were first discovered by a man near a ruined building in Pokfulam in 1880. Walking along the road, he was attracted by the purplish blossoms that he had never seen before and took one to grow in his garden. Later research showed that the bauhinia is a sterile, hybrid species that cannot breed on its own, meaning that all the existing orchid trees today are likely descendants of that one single tree.

The Hong Kong orchid tree normally blooms from November to March. Since 25,000 cuttings of the tree have been made since its first discovery, it can now be found in other parts of China and different places of the world. However, since all the orchid trees have been cultivated by humans through cuttings, their genes are the same and they are vulnerable to unstable habitats and diseases.

Despite its imperfections, this unique species has come to symbolize one of the greatest cities in the world. Hong Kong, much like the orchid tree, has its own unique charm and beauty born from it being a hybrid of the east and west, and of modernity and tradition.

China's Flora Tour

From the wetlands along the coast to the dense rainforests hidden in the southwest, China boasts an array of plant species. In this series, we will go on a tour to learn about some of the most representative flora in different provinces and how they live in harmony with the local geography and climate.

Read more: 

China's Flora Tour: Jiangxi-Four colors of Jiangxi Province

China's Flora Tour: Shandong-We might be domesticated by the green onion

China's Flora Tour: Henan-Wax flower's popularity dates back to imperial past

China's Flora Tour: Taiwan-Elves frolic at various altitudes of Taiwan

(Cover image designed by CGTN)

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