The editor explains the aspects of the bulbous flower Tu Zhu for netizens, the introduction of Tu Zhu and Yang Zhu with pictures and texts, the following is a detailed introduction for you.
Zhudi Hong is divided into Tu Zhu and Yang Zhu in China. Many flower friends online joke about the old and new varieties of Zhudi Hong as "local pig" and "foreign pig". This probably refers to the Zhudi Hong cultivated by folk before the 1990s as Tu Zhudi Hong, and the Zhudi Hong imported from foreign countries after the 1990s as Yang Zhudi Hong. In fact, both "Tu Zhu" and "Yang Zhu" originate from overseas.
Zhudi Hong is native to Central and South America, introduced to Europe in the 18th century, to Japan in the 19th century, and in the mid-20th century, some cities in Shanghai, Beijing, and the southern regions of China began to cultivate it. These延续下来的 old varieties are now called "Tu Zhu". By the mid-20th century, the breeding work of Zhudi Hong in Europe and the bulb propagation had undergone groundbreaking changes. Horticulturists, through hybrid breeding, developed a series of improved varieties of Zhudi Hong, characterized by large flowers, bright colors, and double-petaled flower varieties. This type is known in the horticultural classification of Zhudi Hong as Z-type Zhudi Hong or large-flowered Zhudi Hong (Hippeastrum hybridum). However, because most of these new varieties are tetraploid and rarely produce bulbils, it is difficult to propagate them on a large scale as commercial bulbs. It was not until after the end of World War II that the technique of propagating Zhudi Hong using scales became mature, and large-scale commercial production began. China began to import Z-type Zhudi Hong from the Netherlands at the end of the last century, which is what people now call "Yang Zhu".
Zhudi Hong was first discovered in Mexico and the West Indies in 1725 as the short-tube Zhudi Hong (also known as Queen Zhudi Hong H. reginae), and later in South America, in Peru, Argentina, Brazil, and other places, the flowering Zhudi Hong (H. vittatum), the line-stripe Zhudi Hong (H. rutium), the Chinese lantern (H. punicem), and the netted Zhudi Hong (H. reticulatum) and other species were discovered one after another, and through hybridization, they became the main cultivated species of Zhudi Hong in Europe. The earliest recorded hybrid was bred in 1799 by the British using short-tube Zhudi Hong and flowering Zhudi Hong, resulting in Johnson's Zhudi Hong (H. ×johnsonii). The so-called "Tu Zhu" planted early in China was also these species and their hybrid cultivars. Most of these varieties have single-petaled flowers with a diameter of about 10-12cm, pointed petals, and more bulbils produced on the mother bulb.
The popular "Yang Zhu" today was discovered after 1870 with the蕾宝 Zhudi Hong (H. leopoii) and 帕迪 Zhudi Hong (H. pardinum). Using these two new species as the main parents, they were crossed multiple times with other populations and hybrids of Zhudi Hong to cultivate horticultural cultivars. These two parents have characteristics of large flowers, open flowers, and symmetrical shapes. Most of the popular varieties today were bred by the Netherlands from the 1950s to the beginning of the 21st century. The recently imported commercial "Yang Zhu" can be roughly divided into four types based on flower shape: small flowers (multipetaled), large flowers, double-petaled, and thin-petaled (spider-shaped). Small-flowered Zhudi Hong usually has a flower diameter of about 8-10cm, and some small species have a diameter of 6cm. Large-flowered ones usually have a diameter of 12-18cm, and some can reach 20cm. Double-petaled flowers have their petals transformed and the stamens and pistils petalized, increasing the original six petals to about 10-20. The thin-petaled type is a new variety popular in recent years, favored for its unique flower shape.
The hybrid breeding work of "Yang Zhu" is not only carried out in the Netherlands but also in China (T-W), Japan, the United States, Australia, South Africa, and other places, where new varieties continue to appear. The range of hybrid parents is not limited to interspecific hybridization but has expanded to intergeneric hybridization with the Amaryllidaceae family. Now there are many successful examples of distant hybridization with Hippeastrum, Clivia, Aloe, Narcissus, Crinum, and other genera. The hybridization of Zhudi Hong is a very interesting task, and it is also possible to cultivate new favorite varieties at home. On the internet, you can see some "Zhudi fans" who are overjoyed with their new hybrid varieties. In the future, we can compare hybridization techniques with flower friends to enhance the interest in growing Zhudi Hong.
Early Z-type is commonly known as Tu Zhu
Large-flowered Zhudi Hong imported in recent years is commonly known as Yang Zhu
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