PlantsMap

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5 plants worth knowing

Taiwan

Taiwan is a mountainous island crossed by the Tropic of Cancer, with more than 200 peaks over 3,000 m, so within a small area it holds vegetation zones ranging from tropical forests and mangroves to high-mountain conifer forests and alpine scrub. Forests cover about 60% of the island, which is home to more than 4,000 native species of vascular plants, about a quarter of them endemic – including the famous giant cypresses and taiwanias.

Hover over a plant to see on the map where it grows.

where it grows

  1. Japanese apricot 1

    tree · National flower of the Republic of China (Taiwan)

    Japanese apricot

    Prunus mume

    The meihua plum blossom opens in the depths of winter – which is why in Taiwan it symbolises perseverance in the face of adversity.
  2. Phalaenopsis aphrodite 2

    orchid

    Phalaenopsis aphrodite

    Phalaenopsis aphrodite

    Taiwan is the “kingdom of orchids” – the world’s largest exporter of moth orchids, and the wild species grows in the island’s south.
  3. Camphor tree 3

    tree

    Camphor tree

    Camphora officinarum

    Around the turn of the 20th century Taiwan was a world power in camphor, extracted from these mighty trees.
  4. Formosan cypress 4

    tree

    Formosan cypress

    Chamaecyparis formosensis

    Taiwan’s cypresses are the island’s oldest trees – the most famous giants of Alishan and Lalashan are over 2,000 years old.
  5. Taiwania 5

    tree

    Taiwania

    Taiwania cryptomerioides

    Taiwania is named after the island where it was discovered – one of the tallest trees in Asia, topping 70 m.