When Does the Pagoda Tree Blossom? A Complete Guide to Its Blooming Season
The pagoda tree flower has a very long cultivation history in our country. As early as the Tang Dynasty there were records about the pagoda tree flower. In the Tang Dynasty, Li Nao's "Records of the Seasons in Qinzhong" says, “When the pagoda tree flowers turn yellow, the candidates grow busy”. So around which month does the pagoda tree flower bloom?
The pagoda tree flower is also known as the black locust flower. In the broad sense, the black locust flower refers to the flowers and flower buds of plants in the Fabaceae family; in the narrow sense, the open blossoms are called “pagoda tree flowers”, also known as “pagoda tree stamens”, while the flower buds are called “pagoda tree rice”. They are often planted beside houses and along roadsides, and are widely cultivated throughout our country, but mainly in the north, especially on the Loess Plateau and the North China Plain.
The pagoda tree flower generally blooms in April and May each year, and the blooming season usually lasts about 10-15 days. The pagoda tree flower is most commonly seen in yellow or yellowish-white, though there are other colors too, such as purplish-red. When the blooming season arrives, the pure white pagoda tree flowers adorn the branches, and a faint, elegant fragrance fills the air, lingering for a long time.
The pagoda tree flower is a temperate tree species that prefers a dry, cold climate, but it can also grow in the hot, humid South China region. It has low requirements for soil and can grow in any deep, well-drained soil, failing to grow well only in dry, barren, low-lying areas. The pagoda tree has a very long lifespan. In the impoverished era of material shortage, especially during the lean months, pagoda tree flowers and leaves could serve as life-saving food.
The pagoda tree flower has high value. It can not only be enjoyed ornamentally, but also used in dietary therapy and as medicine. In traditional Chinese medicine, the pagoda tree flower is believed to have the effects of cooling the blood and stopping bleeding, as well as clearing liver heat and purging fire. "Southern Yunnan Materia Medica" records, “Burn the pagoda tree flower, remove the fire toxin, pound it into powder. Take one qian per dose, swallow with water and wine.” This shows that the pagoda tree flower's medicinal history in our country is also very long.
The above is some related knowledge about the pagoda tree flower. When picking pagoda tree flowers, be sure to distinguish between the Chinese pagoda tree and the black locust. What we generally call pagoda tree flowers refers to the black locust, and although the two trees look very similar, the flowers of the Chinese pagoda tree can only be used as medicine and cannot be eaten.