Recently, Xiamen has welcomed strong cold air, showing the chill of winter. However, the streets of Egret Island are still full of flowers, with Bauhinia blooming on the branches, bringing the winter "Jing" wonder.
At present, the Bauhinia blakeana trees along Huguang Road and Dongpu Road are in full bloom. The deep purple-red flowers adorn the entire canopy, swaying and fluttering as the wind blows, like dancers leaping onto the branches to twirl gracefully. Ms. Chen, a local resident, stood beneath the tree holding her phone, unable to capture enough photos. "I posted photos of the Bauhinia in my Moments, and friends from other cities were all envious that Xiamen still boasts 'a hundred flowers in full bloom' in winter," she said.
A large number of banyan trees have been planted along Hubei North Road and Hubei South Road. The purplish-red flowers are layered and clustered on the branches, appearing even more vibrant under the sunlight. "Someone said, 'The south has flowers but not snow.' I've seen it for myself in Xiamen," said Mr. Liu, a local resident.
Some citizens have expressed that the flowering period of Bauhinia and Gongfen sheephoof beetle is similar, and their flower shapes are similar, making it difficult to distinguish. In fact, both Bauhinia and Bauhinia belong to the genus Bauhinia in the legume family, and there are differences in flowering period, flower color, and petal shape between the two.
Sheep hooves usually bloom in November and December in Xiamen, with pink and white flowers as the main color and narrow petals.
Bauhinia is a natural hybrid of sheep hoof beetle and palace powder sheep hoof beetle. Its leaves resemble sheep hoof prints, and its corolla resembles orchids, with a deep purple red color and wide petals. Its flowering period is from November to March of the following year. The cultivation and application of this tree species in Xiamen began in the 1950s and 1960s. Nowadays, the beauty of Bauhinia can be seen on sections such as Hexiang West Road, Shiting Road, and Hubin South Road.
There is another significant difference between the two, which is that the toenail of the sheep will bear fruit, while the Bauhinia does not bear fruit.
