Nurseries are growing more bauhinias as the 'orchid tree' gains a higher profile as the territory's new emblem.
Senior staff officer with the Urban Services Department's green campaign, Cheung Yiu-fai, said the tree was a favourite because its flowers were big and colourful. It was also easy to grow, despite most plants being sterile crosses of two species.
Trees could grow to 10 metres but there were shrub varieties too, he said.
'They prefer sunny but sheltered positions because the branches are quite brittle, so they are quite susceptible to strong wind. In typhoons, many branches break,' Mr Cheung said. 'It is a native of Hong Kong and it flowers readily, between December and April/May.' Some trees in Kowloon Park were in flower now, Mr Cheung said.
'We are growing more mainly because they produce conspicuous and colourful flowers and it is the emblem of Hong Kong.' In country parks they were rarely planted, although they grew wild, said Agriculture and Fisheries Department senior conservation officer Chan Jee-keung.
'It's more a landscape plant, the flowering tree of Hong Kong,' he said.
