Recently, several early-flowering wintersweets began to quietly bloom at Wofo Temple inside the North Garden of the China National Botanical Garden.

The blooming period for wintersweets usually lasts from November to March and can even extend to early April in some locations. In Beijing, wintersweets generally bloom in early spring. However, some cultivars bloom exceptionally early. For example, the "Shiyue Mei" (which literally means "wintersweets in the tenth month") at Wofo Temple, a specially introduced early-flowering cultivar, blooms in the tenth month of the traditional Chinese calendar, of which the blossoms may last until January of the following year.

The botanical garden has also introduced nearly 200 wintersweet plants across over 10 cultivars. Every year, from late autumn (mid-November) to early spring (late March), wintersweets bloom one after another.

Notice: Wofo Temple is closed every Monday except for public holidays.

(Source: The Beijing News)   

(Photos via the China National Botanical Garden)