Turquoise-colored emerald kudzu blooms and competes with bird of paradise flowers

South China Botanical Garden is full of spring in March every year. Flowers are in full bloom. Everyone can't help going out to enjoy the flowers. The garden is crowded with tourists, making people feel the vitality of spring. The white, pink and purple bird of paradise flowers have entered their best viewing period. The azaleas in the azalea garden are also in full bloom. This week and next week are the best time to enjoy the bird of paradise flowers and azaleas. If you are late, the flowering period will be over. Please hurry up and come to enjoy the flowers.

▲Purple and white bird of paradise flowers (Eupatorium macrocarpon) look like bunches of purple grapes

▲White bird of paradise flower (Eupatorium leucophyllum) is as crystal clear as jade

▲Azalea gardens are blooming all over the mountains

▲Laughing among the azaleas

▲The Viburnum truncatum in the Fujimoto Botanical Garden has also become a hot seller

At the same time, I have good news for everyone. The turquoise bird flower, the Emerald Kudzu, has also bloomed. That is to say, in the past two weeks, while you are enjoying the bird of paradise and azalea, you can also enjoy this flower with a peculiar appearance, "exotic" color, and rare quantity. You should know that the flowering period of the bird of paradise and the Emerald Kudzu do not coincide every year. In 2018, they missed each other perfectly, and in 2019, they finally met.

▲What is the color of the Jade Kudzu flower?

Why is the color of the Jade Kudzu flower called "strange"? Because it is really hard to describe its color. Many tourists questioned whether it was a "fake flower" when they first saw it. Indeed, its color is green but not vulgar, blue but not gaudy, and it is really hard to describe. Turquoise? Blue-green? Tiffany blue? No matter which statement is used, it seems inaccurate. In nature, you can't even find the same color, so it is called "strange" by flower lovers, and attracts many fans from far away to see it every year.

Strongylodon macrobotrys A. Gray, also known as jade vine, is a woody vine of the genus Strongylodon in the Fabaceae family, native to the Philippines. Its flowers grow flat along the pedicels, with dozens of flowers in each cluster, and each blooming flower looks like a bird carved from jade. The flowers are jasper-colored with a blue sheen, and are as crystal clear as jade under the sunlight. The buds resemble jade ivory, and the blooming ones look like the beaks of macaws carved from jade, with curved and upturned keel petals that are very showy.

The emerald kudzu grows in tropical rainforests, is frost-intolerant, and prefers full sunlight. In Guangzhou, it cannot survive if planted outdoors. The emerald kudzu in the South China Botanical Garden is planted in a greenhouse and blooms from March to May every year, with the number of flowers growing year by year. Its unique flower shape and rare color make it particularly attractive, and it is currently only planted in a few places in China, such as the South China Botanical Garden and the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden. The emerald kudzu is cultivated in the open field in the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, and generally begins to bloom in February every year. Now is the flowering period. It is also understood that in the Xishuangbanna Botanical Garden, the emerald kudzu can bloom several times a year. For example, it also bloomed in August 2018, which is really cool. As for why the emerald kudzu is so rare in China? Let's talk about it next time.

The Jade Kudzu in South China Botanical Garden started to bloom in early March (March 1-4), with a large number of flowers. Many are now in full bloom, and some are still buds. Based on past experience, it is expected that the overall flowering period of the Jade Kudzu will last for two months this year (due to the large number of flowers in the early stage, the overall flowering period may be shortened to one and a half months). For details, please pay attention to our WeChat and Weibo reports, and flower lovers, please grasp the time to enjoy the flowers.

Location for viewing Emerald Kudzu: Greenhouse Scenic Area - Exotic Plant Room

Photos: Deng Xinhua, Yi Fengling (volunteer), Yang Xiao (volunteer)

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South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Forest in the city, emerald of southern China