When Does Chloranthus spicatus Bloom? A Detailed Guide to Its Blooming Season

Chloranthus spicatus (golden millet orchid) gets its name because its flowers are small, yellow like millet grains, and delicately fragrant like an orchid. Its flowers are round like pearls, blooming at the same time as the Cymbidium ensifolium (Jianlan orchid) and with a similar fragrance, which is why it is also known as Zhulan, pearl orchid, and chicken-claw orchid. Its flowers also resemble fish roe, earning it the name fish-roe orchid, and its leaves look like tea leaves, while its flowers can be used to scent tea, giving it the name tea orchid. So when does Chloranthus spicatus bloom? What month is its blooming season?

According to experienced Chloranthus spicatus growers, its blooming season is April to July.

Growing Environment

It grows on hillsides and in dense forests of ravines at an altitude of 150-990 m, but wild plants are relatively rare, and it is now mostly cultivated in various places. It prefers a warm, humid, and well-ventilated environment, likes shade, and fears direct sunlight. It requires loose, fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil.

Distribution Range

It is produced in Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Fujian, and Guangdong. It is also cultivated in Japan.

Cultivation Techniques

In South China it can be grown in the open ground; in the central and northern regions it is grown in pots and moved indoors in winter, with the temperature kept above 10°C. It is propagated by division, cuttings, and layering. Division is mostly done when repotting after flowering; cuttings are taken in spring from two-year-old mature branches, or in autumn from current-year branches. Layering can be done except in overly hot or cold seasons. During the growing period, topdressing should be applied frequently; in summer it should be placed under a shade frame and watered daily, avoiding direct sunlight. Repot once every 2-3 years.

For potting soil, local materials such as mountain soil, leaf mold, peat soil, pine needle soil, plain sandy soil, carbonized rice husk, and vermiculite can be mixed in appropriate proportions according to local conditions. Because the plant clump is short and its growth vigor is relatively weak, it has poor tolerance to fertilizer and is also afraid of excessive moisture. During care, maintain moderate dryness and moisture; the relative air humidity should be about 80%, and the soil moisture content is best at 25% to 30%. Each year in autumn and early spring, apply diluted liquid fertilizer once to twice, and there is no need to repot and change the soil every year. In summer, place it under a shade frame or in a cool, ventilated place, generally with about 30% light transmission. Before the rainy season arrives, spray water into the air every day to increase the ambient air humidity, but do not frequently spray the leaf surface, otherwise the leaves will become rusty and lose their luster. During the blooming season, it can be placed indoors for display. In early October, move it indoors for overwintering care, where it can receive direct light, and the indoor temperature must not be lower than 5°C.