''Radermachera sinica'', also called china doll, serpent tree or emerald tree,
China Doll Plant (Radermachera Sinica) Growing Guide
on: epicgardenin.com, Last updated May 20, 2019 is an evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...
tree
In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
in the family Bignoniaceae
Bignoniaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales commonly known as the bignonias or trumpetvines.Vernon H. Heywood, Richard K. Brummitt, Ole Seberg, and Alastair Culham. ''Flowering Plant Families of the World''. Firefly Books: ...
, native to the subtropical mountain regions of southern China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
.
In recent years, this plant has become popular as a houseplant for its attractive and glossy, feathery leaves. The specific name ''sinica'' means "from China".
Description
''R. sinica'' can reach heights of up to 30 m tall and a trunk diameter of 1 m. The leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
are bipinnate, 20 to 70 cm long and 15 to 25 cm broad, divided into numerous small glossy green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...
leaflets 2 to 4 cm long. The flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
s are white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, trumpet-like, about 7 cm long, and resembling a large ''Bignonia
''Bignonia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae. Its genus and family were named after Jean-Paul Bignon by his protégé Joseph Pitton de Tournefort in 1694, and the genus was established as part of modern botanical nomenc ...
'' or ''Catalpa
''Catalpa'', commonly called catalpa or catawba, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to warm temperate and subtropical regions of North America, the Caribbean, and East Asia.
Description
Most ''Catalpa'' are decidu ...
'' flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
in shape. The flowers are night-blooming and only last for one night, wilting in the morning sun. The blooms appear spring to early summer, and are highly fragrant.
Cultivation
''Radermachera sinica'' is often sold as a small houseplant
A houseplant, sometimes known as a pot plant, potted plant, or an indoor plant, is an ornamental plant that is grown indoors. As such, they are found in places like residences and offices, mainly for decorative purposes. Common houseplants are us ...
, grown for its attractive glossy leaves; it does not normally flower indoors. It requires plenty of light and moisture in order to thrive. As with most houseplants, wilted leaves indicate either lack of water or overwatering. Recent dwarf
Dwarf or dwarves may refer to:
Common uses
*Dwarf (folklore), a being from Germanic mythology and folklore
* Dwarf, a person or animal with dwarfism
Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Dwarf (''Dungeons & Dragons''), a humanoid ...
variations have been released, often referred to as the Asian Bell Tree. The foliage is highly attractive and is glossy, dark green, and lacy. it consistently grows to a maximum of 3 meters and so makes a very popular indoor or patio plant, requiring a position with indirect sunlight. It can be grown outdoors in tropical to subtropical regions, and also areas with a Mediterranean climate. It should be planted in rich, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade and protect from drying winds and frost, which it cannot tolerate.
See also
* List of Radermachera sinica diseases
References
External links
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sinica
Plants described in 1905
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