Fantastic Plants Ⅱ: Exotic Beauties

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In the last episode of Fantastic Plants, we watched some plants with secret techniques, including Poison Arrow Tree and Miracle Berry.

In this episode, we are going to check out some of the most beautiful plants in the Beijing Horticultural Expo.

Golden Lotus Banana

Golden lotus banana, also known as Chinese yellow banana, is a close relative of bananas.

Golden lotus banana. /VCG Photo

The plant is native to the Yunnan province in China, where it grows high in the mountains to an altitude of 2,500m. The flowering period lasts as long as half a year.

As one of the "five trees and six flowers" in Buddhist temples, the plant is also the embodiment of goodness in Dai people's literature.

Locals in Yunnan also use it for detoxification.

Variegated Madras Thorn

Variegated Madras Thorn is a dwarf and variegated variant of Madras Thorn.

The foliage shrub has cow hoof-shaped leaves in a blended color of pink, white and green. It can let out a unique fragrance during the flowering period which attracts scarab beetles.

The plant loves strong sunlight but can also thrive under shade. There will be more white leaves if there is not enough sunlight. Delicate as it looks, it can survive in dry climates and on coastlines as it is drought- and salt-tolerant.

It is now being cultivated in Yunnan, Hainan and Guangdong provinces in China as an ornamental plant.

Canary Island Date Palm

The Canary Island date palm is found in the Mediterranean regions and in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world.

Tree, leaf and flowers of Canary Island date palm. (illustration) /VCG Photo

This palm is very easy to identify, as it has a very distinct appearance. A huge canopy of leaves grows on the head of the tree.

The Canary Island date palm belongs to the palm family. The difference between it and other palms is its extraordinary ability to withstand cold weather, hence it can be cultivated both in the tropics and in high-latitude oceanic climates.

The sap is often also converted into an alcoholic drink known as the arrack, which is very similar to rum. It is also sometimes used for medical purposes.

Fantastic Plants

The Beijing Horticultural Expo 2019 serves as a perfectly good opportunity to exhibit over 1,000 plant species, most of which are from the tropical area. This three-episode program has selected some of the plants presented in the newly built Plant Pavilion with the most distinctive characters that are rarely noticed or even heard of by the common people.

Credit

Editor：Zhao Yuxiang

Filmed by: Zhao Yuxiang, Wang Zengzheng, Liang Si

Writter: Ding Qian

Presenter：Matthew Watson

Producer：Zhang Xiaohe, Mi Xue, Zhao Ying

Chief Editor：Chen Ran

Supervisor：Zhang Shilei

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