Discover the Beauty of Palace Pink Plum Blossoms

The Palace Pink Plum is a true plum series in the plum blossom species, straight-branch plum type, and palace pink type. Its flowers are double to multiple petals, presenting either deep or shallow shades of red.

The Palace Pink Plum is an ornamental plum blossom with an austere tree form and elegant blossoms. It produces densely packed, light red flowers, and particularly noteworthy is its ability to emit a rich fragrance.

As one of the most diverse groups in the plum blossom species, the main varieties of the Palace Pink Plum include the Great Palace Pink Plum, Fu Pink Plum, and Ning Xin Plum, with the Great Palace Pink Plum being the most famous. Its flowers are large and round, making it a representative of the Palace Pink Plum series.

Growth and Distribution

It grows wild in the southwest mountainous regions.

Morphology and Characteristics

The Palace Pink Plum flowers are double to multiple petals, presenting either deep or shallow red. The Palace Pink Plum is an ornamental plum blossom, producing densely packed, light red flowers, and is particularly noteworthy for its ability to emit a rich fragrance.

In ancient times, people often grouped the Palace Pink Plum with the Cinnabar Plum under the term “red plum,” based on the similarity in their flower colors and shapes.

This deciduous tree can reach up to 10m in height. The trunk is brownish-purple with longitudinal streaks, and the small branches are thin, hairless, and often green. Its leaves are broadly ovate to ovate, with a gradually elongated or tail-like tip, and a broadly wedge-shaped or nearly round base.

The serrated edges are finely pointed, with hair only present on the back of the veins. The flowers bloom in winter or early spring before the leaves emerge, and the fruit is spherical and yellow-green, maturing from May to June.

Habitat Preferences

It prefers a warm, slightly humid climate with some cold resistance and can tolerate poor soil.

Cultivation Methods

When cultivated for cut flowers, it is often grown in open fields.

A smaller plant-row spacing is generally appropriate (3 meters x 3 meters). The main stem is short (about 30 cm), and heavy pruning is required. Ample fertilizer is applied to encourage the growth of long branches for cutting.

To ensure that it blooms for specific holidays, the plant should be placed in a sunny location to gradually increase the temperature. Avoid sudden increases in temperature and frequently spray the plant to maintain humidity.

Once the flower buds start to change color, move them to a cooler location. This way, the bud stage can be maintained for about 10 to 12 days. If the conditions are kept between 15 to 20 degrees Celsius, the flowers can bloom in 5 to 7 days.

Propagation Methods

Grafting, cutting, layering, and seeding can all be used.

Usually, cleft grafting, side grafting, and approach grafting methods are used, often in spring or autumn. Hardwood cuttings are commonly used for plums, and if the cuttings are treated with 500 mg/kg of indolebutyric acid, the survival rate can be increased.

Layering is done in spring. The 1-2 year old shoots near the root are ring-barked with a sharp knife and buried in the soil, 3-5 cm deep.

By late autumn, they are separated from the parent plant and planted separately. High-pressure propagation can also be used. For breeding new varieties and mass propagation of rootstocks, seed propagation can be used.

Value and Other Uses

With its austere tree form and elegant blossoms, it is most suitable for planting in courtyards, lawns, and low hills. It can be planted alone, in clusters, or in groups.

Traditionally, it is often planted with pines and bamboos to create a “Three Friends of Winter” landscape.