Recently, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden elephant ear phalaenopsis entered the flowering period under the careful cultivation of horticulturists. This flower is the largest known native species of phalaenopsis in the world. It grows for at least 10 years before flowering. It is of unique ornamental value.
The elephant ear phalaenopsis is native to Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Sabah and other low-altitude forests. Its thick and huge leaves can be up to L meters long and up to 50 centimeters wide in its native place. It is truly a giant phalaenopsis orchid, so it is called the "king of Phalaenopsis".
Elephant ear phalaenopsis flowering in summer and autumn, about 4-5 cm in diameter, with many dark brown or reddish brown spots, the background color is milky white or light yellow, a single flowering time of about 15 days. It is a very valuable breeding material for Phalaenopsis because of its stable genetic characteristics.
According to Ni Ziyi, an engineer at the Horticultural landscape Department of Chenshan Botanical Garden, the elephant ear butterfly orchid is very difficult to cultivate due to its growth period of more than 10 years, high environmental sensitivity and weak resistance to bacteria. It is a rare orchid species with high value. The elephant eared phalaenopsis that blooms at the Jinsan Botanical Garden this time is very rare in the orchid world, which is more than 20 years old. The gardeners not only keep the air flowing smoothly, but also create a separate awning area near the water curtain for the orchid, and set up its own temperature and humidity meter, so that it can observe and adjust the light intensity and humidity at any time.
At present, Taiwan Province of China is the earliest area of seed breeding for Phalaenopsis. As an important member of the World Orchid Conservation Network, Chenshan Botanical Garden strives to make a contribution to the conservation of global orchid diversity through the introduction and conservation of Phalaenopsis elephant. (Ni Ziyi)
