Tourism
“Siao Dok Kao” Purple Orchid Trees Bloom in Chiang Rai, Province
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CHIANG RAI – A large number of Bauhinia purpurea (purple orchid trees) are blooming alongside a 30-kilometre stretch of road in Chiang Rai, Thailand.
This road is part of a major route that links a mountainous national park and a hill that is famous among tourists. The trees cover hundreds of hectares of the area.
Purple orchid is a fragrant flower while passers-by and motorists would stop to take photos of the scenic area and bask in its delightful scent.
Orchid Tree or Mountain Ebony (Bauhinia purpurea) flowering tree is called “Siao Dok Kao” in northern Thai dialect. If the color of the flowers is red, it is called “Siao Dok Dang.”
Propagated by seed, this very popular ornamental tree grows to a height of up to 15 meters in the mixed, deciduous forests of northern Thailand, and bears eye-catching, white flowers from March to April.