Pleione

Pleione can be considered a native orchid of China. The entire Pleione genus contains about 16 species, and 15 of them are found in China. Traces of Pleione plants can be found in China from Taiwan, China to Tibet.

Although Pleione's homeland is in China and some neighboring countries, Pleione is also very popular in European and American countries. This is probably because Westerners first discovered Pleione in Nepal, and its flowers somewhat resemble crocuses, so in English, Pleione is called "Nepalese crocuses." In English, it also has another name, "window-sill orchids," which is probably because Pleione is easy to cultivate and is often placed on the windowsills of ordinary households. In addition, there are other names such as "Peacock Orchid." In the West, there are many Pleione "enthusiasts" who have collected large numbers of Pleione varieties. The famous Chelsea Flower Show in the UK has presented awards to excellent Pleione varieties, and recently scholars at the Royal Botanic Gardens in the UK even published a specialized book on Pleione. It can be seen that this Oriental orchid already has considerable influence in the West.

When Pleione blooms, a leaf grows beside the flower, so it is also called one-leaf orchid, while the name Pleione comes from its pseudobulb, which is shaped like a garlic bulb. Plants in the Pleione genus are mostly terrestrial orchids, generally growing beneath trees at altitudes above 900 m, with a plant height of 10-25 cm. Their flowers are very much like those of Cattleya, with very rich colors and many varieties, making them a good small potted flower. It is worth mentioning that Pleione's pseudobulb, that is, its "garlic bulb," is also a medicinal material with detoxifying effects.