Kimilsungia

The plant grows high. Its leaves adhere to the nodes alternatively and each stalk yields 3–15 flowers. The flowers have three petals and three calyxes and measure . It blooms for 60–90 days. It grows best in daylight temperatures of and at night. ==History==

During President Kim Il Sung's visit to Indonesia in 1965, Presidents Sukarno and Kim were touring the Bogor Botanical Gardens when the latter was smitten by an orchid specifically cultivated to bloom during his visit. This orchid was developed in Bundt family's orchid nursery in Makassar by C.L. Bundt, an Indonesian orchid breeders of German-Moluccan descent, who suggested it to Sudjana Kasan, the director of Bogor Botanical Garden, after he had asked Bundt for assistance in getting ready for Kim's visit. President Sukarno, seeing Kim's enthusiasm, proposed that the flower be named Kimilsungia, as a symbol of eternal friendship between the two countries. Reportedly, Kim Il Sung initially declined the offer, but upon Sukarno's insistence he had to accept. In North Korea, the flower was successfully cultivated in April 1975, in time for Kim Il Sung's birthday, and subsequently introduced to the North Korean populace for the first time in April 1977, for Kim Il Sung's 65th birthday. The violet Kimilsungia orchid has since become a symbol of the late Juche leader, being used in floral arrangements representing the North Korean state. ==Annual festivals==

The annual Kimilsungia Festival has been held since 1998, and is held around the Day of the Sun. Kimilsungia flower shows are held every year in Pyongyang. Traditionally, embassies of foreign countries in North Korea each present their own bouquet of the flower to the annual exhibition. ==See also==