Photographer: Ed Finney, Sarasota, Fla.

WINTER'S WONDERS NEXT | START OVER | PREVIOUS A Hong Kong Orchid Tree, Bauhinia blakeana, growing in a neighbor's yard. The history of the tree is very interesting: About the year 1880, a tree, just like this one in every way, was found near Hong Kong by priests from a French Mission. They took cuttings and grew them at the mission. Botanists from all over the world searched for other wild growing specimens of the tree, but none were ever found. Apparently the original tree was a hybrid of two unknown Bauhinia species which was unable to reproduce and was fortunately discovered in time to allow vegetative propagation. Every Bauhinia blakeana is descended from and is a clone of that original hybrid tree. It blooms in winter starting before Thanksgiving and continuing for five months — and has never set a single seed in over a hundred years. Submit a picture. Copyright © 2004 Consolidated Publishing Co.