A total of 200 Zhejiang phalaenopsis plants were reintroduced into the wild in Yucun village — located in Anji county, Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province — on May 13.

The Zhejiang phalaenopsis, or Phalaenopsis zhejiangensis, is a rare and endangered species of orchid native to China.

Representatives from the administration bureau of the Zhejiang Qingliangfeng National Nature Reserve gifted some Zhejiang phalaenopsis seedlings to Anji.

The Zhejiang phalaenopsis, a national first-class protected wild plant, is the northernmost species of the Phalaenopsis genus and requires a very specific environment in order to thrive.

A Zhejiang phalaenopsis plant enters the blooming season. [Photo/WeChat account: anjifb]

Since the launch of the rare and endangered species rescue initiative in 2017, over 2,000 Zhejiang phalaenopsis plants have been successfully reintroduced into the wild in areas like Hangzhou's Lin'an district and Chun'an county.

Anji county is now the fourth location in Zhejiang to support the wild reintroduction of the Zhejiang phalaenopsis. The orchids were originally discovered in Anji in 2019 and Yucun village alone now currently hosts over 800 Zhejiang phalaenopsis plants. That makes it one of the top three locations for the species in the province.

"The ecological environment in Yucun, particularly its high humidity, is ideal for the wild reintroduction of Zhejiang phalaenopsis," said Guo Rui, a representative from the administration bureau of Zhejiang Qingliangfeng National Nature Reserve.