Most Jianlan can bloom twice a year, and the flowering period is from July to October, usually in two blooms, about one month apart.

Jianlan, also known as Four Seasons Orchid and Male Orchid, is a terrestrial plant; the pseudobulb is ovoid and hidden within the leaf base. There are 2-6 leaves, ribbon-shaped, shiny, 30-60 cm long and 1-2.5 cm wide. The scape is erect from the base of the pseudobulb, usually shorter than the leaves; the racemes have 3-9 flowers; the flowers are often fragrant and vary greatly in color, usually light yellow-green with purple spots; the sepals are nearly narrowly oblong or narrowly elliptical. Shape; petals narrowly elliptic or narrowly ovate-elliptic, 1.5-2.4 cm long, 5-8 mm wide, subspread; labellum subovate, 1.5-2.3 cm long, slightly 3-lobed. The capsule is narrowly oval, 5-6 cm long and about 2 cm wide. The flowering period is usually from June to October, about five months.