Agaves, Orchids, Irises & Allies - Asparagales
Native / Non-native
Agaves & Allies - Asparagaceae
Century Plant - Agave americana Narrow-Leaved Century Plant - Agave angustifolia Foxtail Fern - Asparagus densiflorus Wild Asparagus - Asparagus cochinchinensis Ti Plant - Cordyline fruticosa Slender Palm Lily - Cordyline stricta Fragrant Dragon Tree - Dracaena fragrans Lily Turf - Liriope spicata Blue Grass - Ophiopogon japonicus Snake Plant - Sansevieria trifasciata Chinese Fringe Lily - Thysanotus chinensis Asphodels - Asphodelaceae Dianella - Dianella ensifolia Orange Day Lily - Hemerocallis fulva |
Amaryllis, Onions & Allies - Amaryllidaceae
African Lily - Agapanthus africanus St. John's Lily - Crinum asiaticum var. Sinicum Natal Swamplily - Crinum moorei Blood Lily - Haemanthus multiflorus Barbados Lily - Hippeastrum vittatum Spider Lily - Hymenocallis littoralis Golden Spider Lily - Lycoris aurea Society Garlic - Tulbaghia violacea White Zephyr Rain Lily - Zephyranthes candida Yellow Zephyr Rain Lily - Zephyranthes citrina Stargrasses - Hypoxidaceae Golden-Eyed Grass - Curculigo orchioides Irises - Iridaceae Fortnight Lily - Dietes bicolor Blackberry Lily - Iris domestica Hong Kong Iris - Iris speculatrix Crested Iris - Iris tectorum Yellow Walking Iris - Trimezia longifolia Walking Iris - Trimezia northiana |
Orchids - Orchidaceae
Banana Orchid - Acampe rigida Hong Kong Ania - Ania hongkongensis Hong Kong Jewel Orchid - Anoectochilus roxburghii Bamboo Orchid - Arundina graminfolia Ambrosia Orchid - Bulbophyllum ambrosia Straight Twist Orchid - Bulbophyllum delitescens Forest Calanthe - Calanthe sylvatica Thrice-Folded Calanthe - Calanthe triplicata Brown Rock Orchid - Coelogyne fimbriata White Rock Orchid - Coelogyne stricta Rosy Cryptochilus - Cryptochilus roseus Ink Orchid - Cymbidium sinense Noble Dendrobium - Dendrobium nobile Yellow Eulophia - Eulophia flava Pale Purple Eulophia - Eulophia graminea Tall Rattlesnake-Plantain - Goodyera procera Phantom Orchid - Habenaria dentata Fan-Lipped Twayblade - Liparis stricklandia Dancing Doll Orchid - Oncidium flexuosum Lady's Slipper Orchid - Paphiopedilum sp. Club-Spurred Tentacle Orchid - Peristylus tentaculus Lady Tankerville's Swamp Orchid - Phaius tankervilleae Moth Orchid - Phalaenopsis sp. Chinese Pholidota - Pholidota chinensis Buttercup Orchid - Spathoglottis pubescens Chinese Ladies Tresses - Spiranthes sinensis Blue Vanda Orchid - Vanda coerulea |
Agaves & Allies - Asparagaceae
Century Plant 龍舌蘭 Agave americana
Narrow-Leaved Century Plant 狹葉龍舌蘭 Agave angustifolia
Wild Asparagus 天門冬 Asparagus cochinchinensis
Foxtail Fern 非洲天門冬 Asparagus densiflorus
Ti Plant 紅葉鐵樹 Cordyline fruticosa
Slender Palm Lily Cordyline stricta
Fragrant Dragon Tree 巴西鐵樹 Dracaena fragrans
Lily Turf 山麥冬 Liriope spicata
Native to Hong Kong this plant flowers in the summer months. It's an understorey plant growing in and next to woodland.
Blue Grass 麥冬 Ophiopogon japonicus
Snake Plant 虎尾蘭 Sansevieria trifasciata
Chinese Fringe Lily 異蕊草 Thysanotus chinensis
Perennial herb. 4-10 flowers growing on a long stalk. Seems to be mostly found on the south side of Hong Kong Island.
Asphodels - Asphodelaceae
Dianella 山菅蘭 Dianella ensifolia
Dianella is a conspicuous plant in woodland areas due to its bright, purple berries. It is poisonous. Also known as a flax-lily.
Orange Day Lily 萱草 Hemerocallis fulva
Amaryllis, Onions & Allies - Amaryllidaceae
African Lily 百子蓮 Agapanthus africanus
St. John's Lily 文殊蘭 Crinum asiaticum var. Sinicum
Natal Swamplily 穆氏文殊蘭 Crinum moorei
Blood Lily 網球花 Haemanthus multiflorus
Barbados Lily 花朱頂蘭 Hippeastrum vittatum
Despite its English name this plant is native to the Peruvian Andes. It's quite popular among the mountainside gardeners of Hong Kong who take small plots of land on the paths going up to the peaks of Hong Kong and plant little gardens there.
Spider Lily 水鬼蕉 Hymenocallis littoralis
A large bulbous plant, native to the American tropics. Flowering in the summer.
Golden Spider Lily 忽地笑 Lycoris aurea
Society Garlic 蒜味草 Tulbaghia violacea
White Zephyr Rain Lily 蔥蘭 Zephyranthes candida
Citron Zephyr Lily 黃花韮蘭 Zephyranthes citrina
Stargrasses - Hypoxidaceae
Golden-Eyed Grass 仙茅 Curculigo orchioides
The rhizome is up to 10cm long, and the stem is short at about 6-7cm. The flower appears at the base of the stem. Grows on poor soil on exposed hillsides.
Irises - Iridaceae
Fortnight Lily 雙色非洲鳶尾 Dietes bicolor
Native to South Africa.
Blackberry Lily 射干 Iris domestica
Called a blackberry lily because its seeds resemble blackberries. This plant is also called a leopard lily.
Hong Kong Iris 小花鳶尾 Iris speculatrix
Flower stem height is 20-25cm. A small, but showy iris, found mostly on the south side of Hong Kong Island, especially on the Twins and Violet Hill.
Crested Iris 鳶尾 Iris tectorum
Yellow Walking Iris 黃馬蝶花 Trimezia longifolia
Native to the Americas, from Mexico to Venezuela.
Walking Iris 新瑪麗雅 Trimezia northiana
This plant, native to Brazil is grown ornamentally in Hong Kong, flowering in April. As the plant grows the weight of the flowers causes the stem to droop to the ground where the flower takes root.
Orchids - Orchidaceae
Banana Orchid 多花脆蘭 Acampe rigida / Acampe praemorsa
Hong Kong Ania 香港安蘭 Ania hongkongensis
Flowering March-April.
Hong Kong Jewel Orchid 香港金線蘭 Anoectochilus roxburghii
Characteristic leaves. Small, white, feathery flowers.
Bamboo Orchid 竹葉蘭 Arundina graminfolia
Flowering from August to November the bamboo orchid is found near streams in hilly areas.
Ambrosia Orchid 芳香石豆蘭 Bulbophyllum ambrosia
Flowering in February.
Straight Twist Orchid 直唇卷瓣蘭 Bulbophyllum delitescens
Forest Calanthe 長距蝦脊蘭 Calanthe sylvatica
Terrestrial native orchid. Up to 80cm in height.
Thrice-Folded Calanthe 三褶蝦脊蘭 Calanthe triplicata
Brown Rock Orchid 流蘇貝母蘭 Coelogyne fimbriata
Flowering in October-November.
White Rock Orchid 雙褶貝母蘭 Coelogyne stricta
Rosy Cryptochilus Cryptochilus roseus
Ink Orchid 墨蘭 Cymbidium sinense
Flowering in January
Noble Dendrobium 金釵石斛 Dendrobium nobile
Native to the Himalayas and southern China. It's the state flower of Sikkim in India and used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Yellow Eulophia 黃花美冠蘭 Eulophia flava
Found from Hong Kong west to the Himalayas this is an orchid species with bright yellow flowers. Found in a sunny position, it tends to grow in a warm temperature at heights of over 400 metres.
Pale Purple Eulophia 美冠蘭 Eulophia graminea
Flowering in May-June
Tall Rattlesnake-Plantain / Bottlebrush Orchid 高斑葉蘭 Goodyera procera
Phantom Orchid 齒片鷺蘭 Habenaria dentata
Fan-Lipped Twayblade 扇唇羊耳蒜 Liparis stricklandia
Flowering in February
Dancing Doll Orchid 跳舞蘭 Oncidium flexuosum
When the flower petals flutter in the breeze they are like a dancing doll. Native to Brazil.
Lady's Slipper Orchid 兜蘭屬 Paphiopedilum sp.
Club-Spurred Tentacle Orchid 觸鬚闊蕊蘭 Peristylus tentaculatus
Flowering September-November.
Lady Tankerville's Swamp Orchid 鶴頂蘭 Phaius tankervilleae
Flowering March-April. Widely distributed across subtropical Asia and Australia.
Moth Orchid 蝴蝶蘭屬 Phalaenopsis sp.
The most common type of cultivated orchid.
Chinese Pholidota 石仙桃 Pholidota chinensis
Buttercup Orchid 苞舌蘭 Spathoglottis pubescens
Flowering in August
Chinese Ladies Tresses 綬草 Spiranthes sinensis
10-30cm tall. Flowering in March-April.