Head to botanical garden for a bit of shisuan history
The Hangzhou Botanical Garden has around 100 shisuan pots in bloom. Due to high temperatures and limited rainfall, only indoor pots are blooming for the moment. Outdoor bulbs are likely to bloom in late August and early September.
Sitting in the botanical garden to admire the flowers is a summer favorite for local residents. Over the past decade, the garden has planted nearly 1 million shisuan bulbs. The flower sea is its biggest draw.
Shisuan is known as the spider lilies in the West, a name inspired by the flower's stamens that resemble spider legs. The Hangzhou Botanical Garden is pioneering new shisuan cultivars in China. Besides red, visitors can enjoy pink, orange and yellow flowers.
Over the past decade, the Hangzhou Botanical Garden has planted nearly 1 million shisuan bulbs. The flower sea is its biggest draw.
Shisuan thrives in moderate humidity. The abundant foliage of Hangzhou Botanical Garden provides them with a pleasant setting. Furthermore, strong rains will make the blossoms more brilliant.
This summer, heatwaves and limited rainfall may have a severe influence on outdoor bulbs. Fortunately, the indoor part with 14 horticulturist-grown shisuan has presented guests with an enlivened scene.
The petals of most shisuan cultivars are grouped in umbels. Each individual flower is asymmetrical, featuring narrow segments that curl backward and long, protruding stamens. However, one variety called huanjinhua (换锦花, electric blue spider lily) grows with radical symmetry, which is uncommon.
Huanjinhua has blue stripes on the rim of pink petals. Its bulbs contain galantamine, which can be used to treat mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive impairment. The plant is much more valuable due to its medicinal properties.
Shisuan is now a popular decorative flower in gardens and city sidewalks. Thanks to their eye-catching blooms, they become wanghong (Internet sensation) in Hangzhou every summer.
In ancient times, the situation was opposite. Old legends deemed the flowers inauspicious because their leaves appear only after the blooms have faded.
According to the Lotus Sutra, one of Mahayana Buddhism's most significant texts, red spider lilies are ominous blossoms that grow in the netherworld and guide the deceased to their incarnation.
Folklore suggests that these flowers grow along the path to hell, marking the trail of those whom one may never meet again.
Influenced by these poignant tales, the Chinese have named it bi'anhua (彼岸花, flowers on the other bank), symbolizing flowers that bloom along the River of Forgetting. It is believed that the souls of the deceased must cross this river on their journey to the afterlife, where they will forget all memories of their past lives.
Shisuan, also known as spider lilies, feature delicate petals and long stamens that look like spider legs.
In truth, shisuan originated in China. The ancient Chinese developed them as early as the 4th century.
Over 40 cultivars have been identified thus far. They are currently growing primarily in 17 Chinese provinces. Except for a few common varieties, the rest exhibit distinctive regional characteristics.
For example, the exhibition features a type known as Shaanxi shisuan, which grows only in wet hills along the boundary of Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces.
To enhance visitors' understanding of shisuan-related horticulture, organizers have installed informative boards detailing the flower's growth processes. Additionally, experts will be invited to speak at the expo. For all event-related updates, please follow the Hangzhou Botanical Garden's WeChat account.
The indoor shisuan exhibition runs until August 25 at the Hangzhou Botanical Garden.
If you go:
Date: Through August 25
Admission: 10 yuan (US$1.4)
Address: 1 Taoyuanling Rd
桃源岭1号
