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Iron tree flowers
Explanation: Figurative things are very rare or extremely difficult to achieve. Iron trees are native to the tropics and do not bloom often. Same as "Iron Tree Blossom".
Example:
Ming Feng Menglong "Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty" Chapter 35: "From the ancient road: 'When the time comes, the iron tree blooms. ’”
The iron tree, whose scientific name is cycads, is one of the most primitive seed plants living on Earth. Iron trees have a strong regional nature of flowering, and iron trees that grow in the tropics can bloom and bear fruit every year after 10 years. The iron tree in the north blooms frequently, because the iron tree is mostly cultivated as a bonsai, people are very particular about all aspects of cultivating the iron tree, from seedling cultivation to cultivation technology to daily care are very careful and serious, specific to the selection of high-tech fertilizers, the use of appropriate water and so on, the iron tree growing in the greenhouse is naturally easy to flower and bear fruit.
Moreover, the iron tree is a gymnosperm, and when it reaches a certain age, it will naturally bloom, and it will not bloom normally. The male flowers are large, like a huge corn cob, bright yellow when they first open, and gradually turn brown when they mature; The female flower, on the other hand, resembles a large pom-pom that is initially gray-green and will later turn brown.
In fact, the iron tree is a tropical plant that prefers warm and humid climates and is not tolerant of cold. In the south, it is generally planted in the garden and can bloom every year if the conditions are right. If it is transplanted to the north and planted, due to the cold and dry climate, the growth will be very slow, and the flowering will become relatively rare. From this point of view, the idiom "iron tree blossoms" must have been invented by a northerner.