How to Grow Flowering Almond (Prunus triloba)? A Complete Guide to the Latest Cultivation Methods

Flowering almond, also known as yu mei, xiao tao hong, and yu ye luan zhi, is a shrub or small tree of the genus Prunus in the rose family. It gets its name because its leaves resemble those of the elm and its flowers closely resemble plum blossoms. It has been cultivated in China for several hundred years and is planted for ornamental display in most parks across the country. Common cultivated types include the double-flowered flowering almond and the luan zhi type. Let us take a look together at how to grow flowering almond!

Growth Habits of Flowering Almond

The branches of flowering almond are purplish brown, the leaves are broadly elliptic to obovate, the flowers range from single to double and are purplish red, and the drupe is red and nearly spherical. It likes light, tolerates slight shade, and is cold-hardy, able to overwinter at -35℃. It is not demanding about soil, preferring neutral to slightly alkaline, fertile soil. Its root system is well developed and it is strongly drought-tolerant. It is not tolerant of waterlogging. It has strong disease resistance. It grows on slopes from low to medium altitude or beside gullies, under or at the edges of tree and shrub forests. In China it is produced in Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Shandong, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and other places.

Propagation Methods of Flowering Almond

1. Grafting: There are two grafting methods for flowering almond, bud grafting and scion grafting, with bud grafting generally used more often. Bud grafting is best done in mid to late August. The rootstock can be one-year-old flowering almond seedlings, or seedlings of wild rose species, wild peach, or mountain peach. For bud grafting, select and cut plump leaf buds from one-year-old branches of a superior flowering almond variety for use. Scion grafting should be done in spring from February to March. The scion should be cut before the plant buds. The scion can also be cut in winter and stored in sandy soil for use in spring.

2. Cuttings: Flowering almond is often propagated by softwood cuttings from current-year branches in late spring and early autumn, or by hardwood cuttings from last year's branches in early spring. For softwood cuttings, in late spring to early autumn when the plant is growing vigorously, select sturdy current-year branches as cuttings. After cutting the branches, choose the robust portions and cut them into sections 5-15 cm long, each with more than 3 leaf nodes. For hardwood cuttings, after temperatures rise in early spring, select sturdy branches from the previous year as cuttings, each cutting usually retaining 3-4 nodes.

3. Division: Flowering almond can be divided in autumn and in spring after the soil thaws and before the plant sprouts. After division, the branches of the plant should be pruned back by 1/3 to 1/2 to reduce water evaporation, which helps the plant survive.

4. Layering: Select a sturdy branch and remove a ring of bark about 15-30 cm below the tip. The wound after peeling should be about one cm wide, with the depth just enough to remove the outer bark. Cut a piece of plastic film 10-20 cm long and 5-8 cm wide, place some moistened garden soil on it, and wrap the girdled area as if bandaging a wound. Tie the top and bottom ends of the film tightly, so the middle bulges, and roots will form in about four to six weeks.

5. Sowing: After the seeds of flowering almond mature, sow them in autumn or stratify them in sand and sow in spring. Planting can be done from after leaf fall in autumn to before buds sprout in early spring. In cultivation management, attention should be paid to pruning and fertilizing after flowering to ensure enough flowering branches the following year.

Cultivation Methods of Flowering Almond

1. Soil: Flowering almond is not demanding about soil, but it is not tolerant of waterlogging and prefers neutral to slightly alkaline, fertile, loose sandy loam.

2. Watering: Flowering almond dislikes waterlogging. If planted in spring and the weather is dry, water 2-3 times. Normally no watering is needed, and attention should be paid to drainage during the rainy season.

3. Sunlight: Flowering almond can be given plenty of sunlight in autumn, winter and spring. When kept indoors, place it in a spot with bright light as much as possible, such as a well-lit living room, bedroom, or study.

4. Temperature: Flowering almond likes a warm climate, but high temperature and stuffy conditions in summer are not good for its growth. It has strict requirements for winter temperature: it stops growing when the ambient temperature is below 10℃, and cannot overwinter safely under frost.

5. Pests: The main pests and diseases of flowering almond include brown spot disease, white root rot, aphids, stinging moths, red spider mites, leaf-rolling moths, etc. They generally occur in summer and autumn and should be promptly treated with appropriate sprays.

6. Pruning: During the growth of flowering almond, attention should be paid to pruning the branches. After the flowers fade, the flowering branches should be moderately shortened, leaving 3-5 buds on each sturdy branch. After the dog days begin, prune once more and pinch off the growing tips to concentrate nutrients and encourage flower buds to sprout.

Pest and Disease Control of Flowering Almond

1. Black spot disease: Strengthen water and fertilizer management to improve the plant's disease resistance. In late autumn, clean up fallen leaves and burn them in a concentrated manner. Before buds sprout in spring, spray once with 5 degrees Baume lime sulfur mixture for prevention. If it occurs, spray with 80% zineb wettable powder at 700 times dilution, or 70% mancozeb at 500 times dilution, spraying once every 7 days. Spraying 3 to 4 times in succession can effectively control the disease.

2. Crown gall disease: Strengthen quarantine during the transport and cultivation of seeds and seedlings, and strictly prevent diseased seeds and seedlings from entering cultivation sites. Before planting, promptly control all kinds of underground pests. On affected plants, use sterilized tools to remove the tumor-like growths, then apply whitewash or Bordeaux mixture to the affected areas. Grafting tools used must also be fully sterilized before use.

3. Leaf spot disease: In winter, in combination with pruning and tidying of branches and leaves, promptly remove the spots and residues left by the disease and burn them in a concentrated manner. During the peak growth period, strengthen field management. During the rainy season, pay attention to timely drainage and apply appropriate fertilizer to enhance the plant's disease resistance. In the early stage of the disease, promptly spray 75% thiophanate-methyl wettable powder at 900-1400 times dilution, or 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder at 800 times dilution.

4. Aphids: If a large number of aphids are found causing damage, chemical control should be carried out promptly. Soak tobacco leaves in water at a ratio of 1:10, and after soaking for about 5 h, spray the whole plant once. Aphids can be killed with 1500 times dilution of Chan Ya, or spray the whole plant with a solution of washing powder, urea and water mixed at a ratio of 1:3:300.

5. Red spider mites: Red spider mites reproduce quickly and can breed in environments such as weeds and plant branches and stems. They harm the entire plant and can cause damage in several overlapping generations on the plant at the same time. In severe cases the entire plant dies. Mix sulfur + salt + water (ratio 10:1:1:40), stir well and use. Applying whitewash can both prevent mature larvae from descending the tree to overwinter in the shallow soil layer and prevent the larvae of the camphor cluster moth from climbing the tree in spring. Kill red spider mites with 40% dicofol emulsifiable concentrate at 1500 times dilution.

6. Bagworms: Bagworms are likely to harm plants under high-temperature, dry climate conditions, mainly damaging plant leaves. When only a few occur, remove the insects and eggs by hand and burn them in a concentrated manner. When the infestation is severe, spray fenvalerate at 2050 times dilution during the larval stage, or 85% dichlorvos emulsifiable concentrate at 900 times dilution, or 80% trichlorfon crystals at 1500 times dilution.