About Pleione formosana Hayata
Pleione formosana, commonly known as the Taiwan pleione or windowsill orchid, is a flowering orchid species belonging to the family Orchidaceae. It is native to southeastern China, and to northern and central Taiwan. This species is a deciduous perennial terrestrial orchid that reaches 15 cm (6 in) tall and 30 cm (12 in) wide. It grows from spherical pseudobulbs, each of which produces one single folded leaf. Its pink flowers emerge in spring; these flowers have fringed white lips, whose inner surfaces are heavily marked and mottled with brown. The specific epithet formosana comes from Formosa, the former name of Taiwan. This plant has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. In the United Kingdom, it holds a hardiness rating of H3. This rating means it can be grown outdoors in mild, sheltered locations where soil remains consistently moist, and it may also be grown under glass in a cool environment.
