Discover Chinese Orchids: 7 Essential Types, Traits & Timeless Elegance

"Chinese Orchid," or Guo Lan, refers not to a botanical classification within the orchid family (Orchidaceae), but rather to a cultural category of orchids cherished throughout Chinese history. It encompasses seven main types: Chun Lan (Spring Orchid), Hui Lan (Multi-flowered Orchid), Jian Lan (Fujian Orchid), Mo Lan (Ink Orchid), Han Lan (Cold Orchid), Lian Ban Lan (Lotus Petal Orchid), and Chun Jian (Spring Sword Orchid). Admired for their elegant form, delicate fragrance, and vast variety, Chinese Orchids offer beauty in their leaves, blossoms, and scent. Cultivating them or simply beholding them brings boundless delight and appreciation.

Spring Orchid (Chun Lan)
Also known as Grass Orchid, Mountain Orchid, or Quiet Orchid, the Spring Orchid blooms from January to March. Renowned for its purity, grace, and subtle fragrance, it boasts numerous famous and precious varieties. It holds a special place as one of the most historically cultivated and beloved orchids in China. Primarily found in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, it also grows in Anhui, Guangdong, Guangxi, southern Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, and Guizhou. It is relatively hardy, tolerating both cold and drought. Spring Orchids are generally small plants with compact pseudobulbs. Their most distinctive feature is typically bearing only one flower per scape (occasionally two).

Fujian Orchid (Jian Lan)
Commonly called the Four Seasons Orchid, the Fujian Orchid doesn't bloom year-round but flowers more frequently than others (2 to 4 times annually between May and November). Notable varieties include Jun He, Gai Mei, and Hong Yi Pin.
Multi-flowered Orchid (Hui Lan)
Also known as Nine Sons Orchid, Nine Joints Orchid, or Summer Orchid, the Multi-flowered Orchid blooms from March to May. Characterized by tall stems bearing multiple flowers (usually 9 to 20), its display is spectacular, accompanied by an intense, intoxicating fragrance. Flowers are predominantly yellow-green or emerald green, with a richer scent than the Spring Orchid, especially those from Hubei province, known for their purest and strongest aroma. Blooming around the Qingming Festival, it is the most cold and drought-tolerant among Chinese orchids. Its range includes southern Shaanxi, southern Gansu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, southern Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, and eastern Tibet. Hui Lan varieties are classified based on bract color and shape beneath the flower bud:

  • Red Bract Type: Red bracts (e.g., Cheng Mei, Duan Mei, Guan Ding).

  • Green Bract Type: Green bracts (e.g., Ji Pin, Da Yi Pin, Shanghai Mei).

  • Red-Green Bract Type: Green bracts tinged with pink (e.g., Da Lü He, Songjiang Da He).

  • Butterfly Type: Red-Green bracts with distinctive flower forms (e.g., Wu Die, Cui Die).

  • Plain Heart Type (Su Xin): Lip without red spots (present in the previous four types) (e.g., Wenzhou Su).
    The classic "Eight Old Varieties" of Hui Lan are: Cheng Mei, Guan Ding, Yuan Zi, Ran Zi, Da Yi Pin, Shanghai Mei, Pan Lü, and Dang Zi.

Cold Orchid (Han Lan)
Celebrated as the "most elegant orchid," the Cold Orchid features graceful, bright blossoms, a rich and enduring fragrance, and lush, smooth, glossy leaves. Its petals are relatively large, and each stem typically carries 5 to 12 flowers. Blooms are often pale yellow-green with a light yellow lip, exuding a strong, long-lasting scent from August to December.

Ink Orchid (Mo Lan)
Blooming around the Lunar New Year, the Ink Orchid is also called the New Year Orchid or Celebration Orchid. It possesses the largest plant size and pseudobulbs among Chinese orchids. Found mainly in Fujian, Guangdong, Taiwan, Guangxi, southern Jiangxi, southern Anhui, Hainan, Sichuan (Emei Shan), southwestern Guizhou, and Yunnan.

Lotus Petal Orchid (Lian Ban Lan)
Named for petals resembling lotus blossoms, the Lotus Petal Orchid blooms around New Year and Spring Festival, symbolizing auspiciousness. Valued for novelty, rarity, beauty, vibrant colors, purity, and fragrance, it produces multiple exquisite flowers per stem (usually 2-4). Its fragrance rivals that of the Spring Orchid. Beyond the blossoms, its leaves are particularly striking – emerald green, graceful, smooth, glossy, resilient, and tightly sheathed at the base, creating a compact plant form.

Spring Sword Orchid (Chun Jian)
Botanically, the Spring Sword Orchid's classification is less settled, currently often considered a variety of the Lotus Petal Orchid. Flowering from January to March, it produces multiple blooms per stem (typically 2-5, sometimes 7) in shades like pale yellow-green, red, yellow, white, green, purple, black, and variegated colors.

Lotus Petal Orchid (Lian Ban Lan)
Named for petals resembling lotus blossoms, the Lotus Petal Orchid blooms around New Year and Spring Festival, symbolizing auspiciousness. Valued for novelty, rarity, beauty, vibrant colors, purity, and fragrance, it produces multiple exquisite flowers per stem (usually 2-4). Its fragrance rivals that of the Spring Orchid. Beyond the blossoms, its leaves are particularly striking – emerald green, graceful, smooth, glossy, resilient, and tightly sheathed at the base, creating a compact plant form.

Spring Sword Orchid (Chun Jian)
Botanically, the Spring Sword Orchid's classification is less settled, currently often considered a variety of the Lotus Petal Orchid. Flowering from January to March, it produces multiple blooms per stem (typically 2-5, sometimes 7) in shades like pale yellow-green, red, yellow, white, green, purple, black, and variegated colors.

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