What Does a Red Sandalwood Tree Look Like? A Detailed Guide to Sapling Prices and Planting & Care Methods

Red sandalwood tree, a tree, 15-25 m tall, with a trunk diameter at breast height of up to 40 cm; the bark is gray. It is native to Taiwan, China, Guangdong and Yunnan (southern part). So what does it look like? How much does a sapling cost? How do you plant and care for it? According to the Suqian nursery stock base, it is generally sold by quantity - the more you buy, the lower the price of course; when you buy over a thousand, small-leaf red sandalwood saplings are generally within 10 yuan each.

What does a red sandalwood tree look like?

The red sandalwood tree is a tree, 15-25 m tall, with a trunk diameter at breast height of up to 40 cm; the bark is gray. The pinnately compound leaves are 15-30 cm long; the stipules fall early; there are 3-5 pairs of leaflets, ovate, 6-11 cm long and 4-5 cm wide, with a gradually pointed tip and a rounded base, hairless on both sides, with slender veins.

The panicle is terminal or axillary, many-flowered, covered with brown short soft hairs; the pedicel is 7-10 mm long, with 2 linear, easily shed bracteoles at the tip; the calyx is bell-shaped, slightly curved, about 5 mm long, with broad triangular calyx teeth about 1 mm long, rounded at the tip and covered with brown silky hairs; the corolla is yellow, the petals have long stalks, the margins are wrinkled and wavy, the standard petal is 10-13 mm wide; there are 10 stamens, monadelphous, finally divided into 5+5 diadelphous; the ovary has a short stalk and is densely covered with soft hairs.

The pod is round, flat, skewed, about 5 cm wide, slightly hairy and net-veined on the part over the seed, with a broad wing around it, the wing up to 2 cm wide, containing 1-2 seeds. The flowering period is in spring., slightly hairy and net-veined on the part over the seed, with a broad wing around it, the wing up to 2 cm wide, containing 1-2 seeds. The flowering period is in spring.

How do you plant and care for a red sandalwood tree?

Propagation methods:

The seed propagation method is the sexual reproduction method, which uses male and female pollination to form seeds to reproduce offspring. This method is generally used for most propagation, not only because it produces a large number of seeds that can propagate more new seedlings.

Seedling trees of red sandalwood grown from seed have a well-developed root system, strong wind resistance, luxuriant branches and leaves, and varied, vigorous forms, and they can grow into timber as the tree grows year by year, but such trees generally must be planted for more than ten years before they flower and bear fruit.

Cuttings

Cutting the stems and leaves of a plant and inserting them into a seedbed so that they grow into a complete plant is called cutting. The material used for cuttings (roots, stems, leaves) is called a cutting.

The advantage of red sandalwood propagated by cuttings is that branches are easy to obtain and cheap, solving the urgent needs of landscaping. The disadvantage is that its root system spreads out flat in all directions and cannot form a main root growing vertically downward, so its wind resistance is poor. To prevent typhoons, part or all of the branches must be cut off every year, turning it into a bald, decapitated tree. Cutting branches year after year affects both the growth of the tree and its shape and appearance. At the same time, it is also difficult for it to grow valuable heartwood (ge). To obtain red sandalwood heartwood, seed propagation must be used.

Container growing:

1. Small-leaf red sandalwood is a tropical plant. It likes sunlight and is not tolerant of low temperatures. In winter, the temperature should preferably not be lower than 3°C; 20°C-30°C is the most suitable environment for its growth. It has a well-developed root system and is not demanding about soil, but there should be no standing water in the pot.

2. It is best placed in a spot with plenty of sunlight. Small-leaf red sandalwood likes sun. If it is often placed in front of a desk or in a bedroom, it is not good for its development. It is best placed on a balcony with good light conditions, but be careful not to expose it to harsh sun.

3. Small-leaf red sandalwood is not cold-tolerant and has relatively high water requirements, so it should be watered frequently, about once every 2-3 days, but in winter the number of waterings can be reduced. Also, watering should soak through, not just the surface of the soil. If possible, water can also be sprayed on the leaves to keep the environment as humid as possible.

4. Small-leaf red sandalwood should be placed in a ventilated spot indoors to help the plant breathe. Small-leaf red sandalwood does not need frequent fertilizing. Once every one or two months, drip plant nutrient solution into water, mix it evenly, and pour it onto the soil.

5. If small-leaf red sandalwood is grown indoors, insufficient sunlight, insufficient humidity, little air movement, and too much dust can affect the plant's growth, so occasionally changing its position is fine. But do not do it too frequently, so as not to cause a burden by making the plant unable to adapt.