Home › Flowers & Gardening › Article

What Is Chloranthus? A Closer Look at This Plant

Flowers & Gardening 0 views
Chloranthus spicatus is a small-flowered plant with a rather distinctive appearance, which is why it has so many alternative names. It is cultivated over a fairly wide range and is well suited to being grown for ornamental enjoyment.

Alternative Names for Chloranthus

Chloranthus spicatus is also known as zhulan, yuzilan, chalan, zhenzhulan, zhenzhu lan, jinsulan and jizhualan.

Growing Habits of Chloranthus

Chloranthus spicatus likes a warm, humid growing environment and prefers a sheltered spot. The temperature for its care needs to be kept relatively high; in winter it needs to stay above 10°C. In northern regions it is best grown in pots and brought indoors to overwinter.

Growing Chloranthus requires loose, fertile soil that is rich in humus and drains well.

The Origin of the Name Chloranthus

Chloranthus spicatus has many alternative names, and these are not just for fun; many of them are quite distinctive.

The flowers of Chloranthus spicatus are relatively small and yellow, looking like millet grains. When in bloom they are fragrant, much like an orchid, and so it got the name jinsulan ("golden millet orchid").

The flowers of Chloranthus spicatus are round, so it is also called zhulan and zhenzhulan ("pearl orchid").

The flowers also look a little like fish roe, so it is called yuzilan ("fish roe orchid").

In addition, the leaves of Chloranthus spicatus closely resemble those of the tea plant, and the flowers can be used to make tea, so it is also called chalan ("tea orchid").


Related Articles