Climbing Bauhinia - Hong Kong Wildflower

Climbing Bauhinia in flower

Climbing Bauhinia or Bauhinia glauca is the first but hopefully not the last native entry on my list of wildflowers commonly found in Hong Kong. It is easy to remember visually with crinkled white petals and beetroot-red stamen dusted in yellow pollen. It also has soft hoof-shaped leaves that look especially chlorophyll laden. It grows as a woody vine and can be found battling it out on the slopes with other creepers, which in my experience, are often invasive and far less rewarding to the senses. It has a distinct, refreshing, sweet fragrance that is a pleasant distraction from the other strange odours of Hong Kong’s sun-baked pavements. I am also fortunate to have found areas of a slope overlooking So Kon Po, where it holds its own. On a clear day in spring, it is a lovely place to observe the butterflies and bees of Hong Kong or to pass a while enjoying the fragrance-enhanced view across the harbour.