China Doll

A year ago, I got a plant for my desk at work. It’s called a China Doll, and it looks like this:

From China Doll

I think it’s doing pretty well after a year under my care. I put my 15″ MacBook Pro near it for size comparison. When I was in Santa Barbara a few weeks ago, I spotted a nice-looking tree:

China Doll

It had an identifying plaque in front of it, and to my surprise I learned that I had been looking at a China Doll!

China Doll - Radermachera sinica. Often sold as a houseplant. It can be grown outdoors in protected frost-free areas. It is native to the mountain areas of South China and Taiwan. Hardy to 30° F.