INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The dove tree, often dubbed the "giant panda of the plant world," is a rare and endangered species endemic to China and listed under its
first-class state protection
It is a relic species dating back 60 million years.Every April, the dove tree enters full bloom at the Qinling National Botanical Garden in
Xi'an City, northwest China's Shaanxi Province
The flowers resemble white doves spreading their wings, delicate and graceful.Studies show that wild dove trees typically take about 25
years to flower, while cultivated ones bloom in seven to 10 years.The Qinling National Botanical Garden has obtained a patent for
significantly reducing its germination period from two years to just six months.Regional domestication trials have already been conducted in
Shaanxi as well as Henan Province in central China
Since 2024, to broaden the species' genetic pool, the botanical garden has initiated cultivation observation projects in cities such as
Xi'an, Baoji, and Zhengzhou
The goal is to promote the dove tree as a viable option for street and landscape planting in Shaanxi.(Cover: The dove tree
