What season does蜡梅 (wax plum) bloom?
In this article, we will elaborate on when蜡梅 blooms and provide some knowledge about the plants and flowers related to its blooming period. The following is an introduction for your reference.
Wax plum is the most cold-resistant flower in winter. In the coldest days of the year, its branches burst into yellow flowers, defying frost and snow, with a gentleman's character, and it has been admired by scholars and literati since ancient times.
Wax plum is actually called蜡梅, and it is not a plum blossom. The original meaning of this name refers to the color of its petals resembling yellow beeswax, with a fragrance similar to plum blossoms, and it blooms in the coldest days of winter, hence the name wax plum, also known as yellow plum. It is a completely different type of plant from plum blossoms.
Wax plum belongs to the蜡梅 family, and its blooming period is early, from November to the following March, the coldest time of the year; whereas plum blossoms belong to the rose family and apricot genus, with a blooming period in February to March, at the end of winter and the beginning of spring. When wax plum's flowers fade, plum blossoms can take over. Wax plum is not only one of the first to bloom in the year but also one of the last, bridging the gap.
We often say that plum blossoms bloom alone in the cold, but this is a beautiful misunderstanding. Plum blossoms are not as cold-resistant as we imagine, with a blooming temperature of 6-7°C. Therefore, they generally bloom in early spring, March to April. Wax plum can bloom as early as October of the lunar calendar and continue to bloom until February of the following year, enduring the coldest part of the winter. Its yellow, moist petals provide a bright and warm feeling in winter, along with a strong fragrance that is captivating.
China is the original habitat of wax plum, with wild wax plums mainly distributed in mountainous areas such as Shaanxi, Sichuan, Henan, Hunan, and Hubei. There are many wild wax plums in the Qinling and Daba mountains. The flowers are small, with lighter colors and fragrance, inner petals are purple, bloom relatively late, and this type of plum is considered inferior, known as dog-tooth wax plum. Good wax plum varieties have deeper yellow color and a strong fragrance, with consistent color in both inner and outer petals, known as "plain-hearted wax plum," also called lotus plum.
What season does wax plum bloom?
There are many varieties of wax plum, with currently discovered 4 breed groups, 12 breed types, and a total of 165 varieties. Its petals are not only yellow but also dark yellow, purple yellow, silver white, and yellow white, with stamens in red, purple, and white.
Wax plum prefers a cool, dry, and sunny environment. Its roots are cold and drought-resistant, able to withstand -15°C in winter, making it more cold-resistant than plum blossoms. In areas south of Beijing, wax plum can be planted outdoors and overwinter. However, if it blooms, the temperature should not be lower than -10°C, or the flowers will be frostbitten.
Wax plum can also bear fruit, but unlike the edible plums from plum trees, wax plum's fruit is ugly and contains toxic alkaloids in the fruit, trunk, and leaves. Caregivers should be careful not to randomly pick or eat them.
Wax plum flowers are very fragrant, containing various volatile oils, making them excellent ornamental plants. Essential oils can be extracted from the petals, and some enthusiasts also use wax plum petals to scent tea, but it should not be used directly for brewing, to avoid any health issues.
The above introduction to when wax plum blooms and a brief introduction to its blooming period are provided by Green Enthusiast Network for reference.