How to grow wintersweet bonsai? Heat-relieving, appetite-stimulating benefits and care guide

Wintersweet, also known as golden plum, wintersweet, wax flower, and yellow plum blossom, belongs to the genus Chimonanthus in the family Calycanthaceae and is a deciduous shrub. In the cold winter, when many flowers have withered, wintersweet blooms proudly, offering not only high ornamental value but also a meaning that inspires people. Below, let us learn about the health benefits and care guide for wintersweet.

1. Health benefits

The flower buds, roots, and root bark of wintersweet can all be used as medicine. The flower buds are pungent in taste and cool in nature, and have the effects of relieving summer heat and promoting fluid production, stimulating appetite and dispersing stagnation, and relieving cough. The root bark is pungent in taste and warm in nature, and has the effects of dispelling wind, detoxifying, and stopping bleeding. The root bark can be used externally to treat bleeding from knife wounds.

2. Care guide

(1) Choosing a pot

Wintersweet is not very picky about flower pots; clay pots, ceramic pots, purple clay pots, and others can all be used to grow wintersweet. Wintersweet is a deep-rooted tree species, so deep pots and large pots should be used for planting.

(2) Choosing soil

For wintersweet, it is advisable to choose light loam with deep soil layers and good drainage, with near-neutral or slightly acidic soil being best. Alkaline soil and clay soil should be avoided.

(3) Planting

Before potting, choose one thick main branch from the whole wintersweet plant, cut off the branches on the main branch from the base, leaving only 3 evenly distributed side branches, and top the main branch. Spread a layer of base fertilizer at the bottom of the flower pot, then cover the base fertilizer with a thin layer of soil. Place the wintersweet in the center of the pot, hold it upright, press it firm with cultivation soil, and water thoroughly. After potting, place it in a cool place for about 1 month, then move it to a place with plenty of sunlight for care. Potting is best done in winter and spring.

(4) Light

Wintersweet likes sunlight, and during the growing period it should be kept in an environment with plenty of sunlight, with at least 4 h of direct sunlight every day. During the flowering period, direct sunlight should be avoided, and it can be placed in a spot with soft light.

(5) Temperature

The suitable temperature for wintersweet growth is 14-28°C, but it can only bloom normally at a temperature of 0-10°C. In winter, it is best to place the plant indoors and keep the room temperature at 5-10°C. The temperature during the flowering period should not be too high; if it exceeds 20°C, the flowers will quickly wither.

(6) Watering

Usually, watering should follow the principle of "do not water until dry, and water thoroughly when watering." During the dog days of summer, the temperature is relatively high, so more watering is needed at this time to ensure normal flower bud development and normal plant growth. Before or during the flowering period, pay attention to watering in moderation. If too much water is given, it is easy for water to accumulate and the flower buds to drop; if too little water is given, several whitish patches will be left on the leaves, affecting flower bud formation, causing the flowers to be small, sparse, and uneven, and reducing ornamental value.

(7) Fertilizing

Generally speaking, from May to June each year, apply liquid fertilizer once every 7 days. From July to August, fertilizer can be applied once every 15-20 days, and the concentration of the fertilizer solution should be thinner. After autumn, apply fertilizer once more to meet the nutrient needs during flowering. After winter begins, there is no need to fertilize again, otherwise the flowering period will be shortened.

(8) Propagation

Wintersweet is commonly propagated by grafting, cuttings, layering, or division.

(9) Pruning

After wintersweet blooms, prune the branches in time. All parts of flowering branches longer than 20 cm should be cut off, and the long branches from the previous year should be shortened, leaving only 1-2 pairs of buds.

(10) Placement and display

Wintersweet can be placed indoors in a spot with relatively abundant sunlight, such as a south-facing balcony or windowsill. It can also be planted directly in the courtyard for viewing, but be careful not to plant it under tree shade, otherwise flowering will be sparse or it may even fail to bloom, affecting ornamental value.

The above is the wintersweet care guide compiled by the editors of Huinong Network. Many flower lovers may be learning about its health benefits for the first time. For this plant, which has both high ornamental value and health benefits, friends who like it should not miss it.

The benefits and effects of wintersweet flowers, contraindications, and how to eat wintersweet flowers

Everyone knows that wintersweet flowers are fragrant and beautiful and are a very precious ornamental flowering plant. In addition, wintersweet flowers also have good medicinal value. Below, the editors of Baozhang Network will guide everyone to learn about the benefits and effects of wintersweet flowers, contraindications, and how to eat wintersweet flowers:

Benefits and effects of wintersweet flowers:

Flower buds: Relieve summer heat and promote fluid production, stimulate appetite and disperse stagnation, and relieve cough. Used for summer-heat dizziness, vomiting, qi stagnation and stomach oppression, measles, and whooping cough; external use for scald and burn injuries and otitis media.

Root: Dispels wind, detoxifies, and stops bleeding. Used for wind-cold common cold, lumbar muscle strain, and rheumatic arthritis.

Root bark: External use for bleeding from knife wounds.

Wintersweet flowers contain volatile oil. The oil contains chemical components such as borneol, eucalyptol, linalool, calycanthine, isocalycanthine, calycanthoside, a-carotene, linoleic acid, and oleic acid. The leaves contain calycanthine, calycanthine, and isocalycanthine; fresh leaves contain hydrocyanic acid. The seeds contain fatty oil, fatty acids, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and other components.

1. Relieves summer heat and promotes fluid production, stimulates appetite and disperses stagnation, promotes lactation and moistens dryness, and relieves cough.

2. Mainly treats asthma, cough from overexertion, stomach pain, abdominal pain, rheumatic itching and pain, boils and swollen toxins, and traumatic injuries.

3. Mainly treats summer-heat dizziness, vomiting, qi stagnation and stomach oppression, measles, whooping cough, scalds, burn injuries, otitis media, and so on.

4. The root and stem are warm in nature. Dispels wind and regulates qi, invigorates blood and detoxifies.

5. It can also relieve stagnation and harmonize the middle burner, relieve cough and transform phlegm, and detoxify. Used for depression and irritability, liver-stomach qi stagnation, globus hystericus, scrofula and sores, and so on.

Benefits and effects of wintersweet flower tea:

Benefit and effect of wintersweet flower tea one: It has the effects of relieving summer heat and promoting fluid production, stimulating appetite and dispersing stagnation, detoxifying and promoting tissue regeneration, and regulating qi and relieving cough.

Benefit and effect of wintersweet flower tea two: It has the effects of treating summer-heat thirst, dizziness, chest tightness, vomiting, polio, and whooping cough

Benefit and effect of wintersweet flower tea three: It has the effects of lowering blood sugar and stimulating the uterus and intestinal tract.

Benefit and effect of wintersweet flower tea four: It has the effects of treating febrile disease with thirst, chest tightness, cough, scalds and burns, and other conditions.

In addition, regularly drinking wintersweet flower tea also has the effect of improving acne, pimples, and dark spots.

Suitable pairings for wintersweet flower tea: bitter melon tea, kuding tea, snow lotus, rose, honeysuckle, carnation, ginseng flower, snow chrysanthemum, gynostemma tea, lemon balm, lemongrass, reishi, osmanthus, osmanthus fragrant flower, magnolia flower, bitter orange flower, calendula, camellia, lotus, rhododendron, and so on.

Brewing method for wintersweet flowers: one teaspoon of dried petals, brewed with a cup of boiling water, covered and steeped for about ten minutes, then it is ready; brown sugar or honey may be added as desired.

How to eat wintersweet flowers:

1. Wintersweet fish head soup: 10 wintersweet flowers, 750 grams of fish head, appropriate amounts of various seasonings, and 1000 grams of clear chicken stock. Wash the fish head and put it in a pot to stew, then add the seasonings. After adjusting the flavor, add the wintersweet petals, and it is ready to eat.

2. Braised beef strips with wintersweet: 500 grams of beef, 10 wintersweet flowers, 50 grams of lard, 25 grams of onion, 25 grams of celery, 25 grams of carrot, 15 grams of oil-flour paste, and appropriate amounts of refined salt, peppercorns, and pepper powder.

3. Stewed tofu with wintersweet: 5 wintersweet flowers, an appropriate amount of tofu, 250 grams of cooked soybean oil, and appropriate amounts of shredded scallion, cilantro, refined salt, and pepper powder. Put the pot on the heat, and after the oil is hot, add the cut tofu strips and fry until yellow, then remove. Pour out the oil, add the shredded scallion and stir-fry briefly, add water and salt, then pour in the tofu strips and stew for 5 minutes. Add the pepper powder, and when removing from the heat, add the wintersweet flowers and monosodium glutamate to adjust the flavor.

4. Plum blossom porridge: Take 5-7 white plum blossoms, pull off the petals, wash them clean with water, and set aside. Wash 100 grams of japonica rice and put it in a pot, cooking until the porridge is done, then add the white plum blossoms and an appropriate amount of white sugar, and bring to a brief boil. This porridge can soothe the liver and regulate qi, strengthen the spleen and stimulate appetite, and refresh the mind and improve eyesight. It is suitable for liver-stomach qi pain, depression and discomfort, loss of appetite, dizziness and headache, neurosis, and so on, and is a commonly used item for stimulating appetite and dispersing stagnation.

Contraindications for wintersweet flowers:

There are no particular contraindications for eating wintersweet flowers, but no matter what the food is, attention should be paid to moderation. In addition, care should be taken to place it indoors in a cool and dry place, and to prevent children from taking it on their own.

How to plant wintersweet flowers

1. Planting: For ground planting, wintersweet is suitable for transplanting in the winter season. When the seedlings are small, plant them mixed with mud slurry; when the seedlings are large, plant them with a soil ball, which can increase the survival rate. Apply enough base fertilizer in the planting pit in advance, and water thoroughly after planting. For potted wintersweet, loose, fertile sandy loam should be selected.

2. Light and temperature: During the growing period, it should be kept in an environment with plenty of sunlight, and the plant should receive at least more than 4 hours of direct sunlight every day. The suitable growth temperature is 14-28°C, but it needs a temperature of 0-10°C to bloom normally. In winter, the plant should be placed in a greenhouse, keep the room temperature at 5-10°C, and place it in a wind-sheltered, sunny environment, so that the flowers are fragrant and the plant is beautiful, with high ornamental value. Wintersweet also has a certain shade tolerance and can grow normally in a semi-shaded environment. Adult plants can endure a low temperature of -15°C and have strong cold resistance. During the flowering period, place it in a bright place without direct sunlight. The temperature should not be too high; it is best to maintain 4-8°C, and it must not exceed 20°C, otherwise the flowers will quickly wither.

3. Watering and fertilizing: Wintersweet has strong drought tolerance, so there is no need to water unless it is too dry. Ground-planted wintersweet is managed extensively; generally, after applying overwintering fertilizer once before overwintering, irrigate; in August-September, apply nutritional fertilizer once (flower-promoting fertilizer); after the flowers fade, apply fertilizer once and irrigate once. For potted wintersweet, choose a deep pot to suit its deep-rooted characteristics. During the vigorous growth period, apply dilute cake fertilizer water once every half month, and before flowering, apply phosphate and potassium fertilizer mixed with cake fertilizer water.

4. Shaping and pruning: Wintersweet branches have strong sprouting ability, so it is very tolerant of pruning. Prune after flowering and before sprouting. The general principle is to first cut off dead branches, crossing branches, overly dense branches, and diseased and pest-damaged branches, and then shorten-prune according to the tree shape to encourage the formation of more flowering branches. If seeds are not wanted, promptly remove the residual flowers after flowering to reduce nutrient loss.

In making wintersweet bonsai, first control the height, encourage lateral branching after heavy pruning, and then shape it according to your own aesthetic sense, training it into weeping wintersweet, multi-trunk wintersweet, double-ten wintersweet, dragon-swimming wintersweet, and so on. After several years of repeated pruning, once the initial form is gradually formed, carry out normal care. If there is an old stump of dog-tooth wintersweet, it can be planted in a pot, and care and management will cause it to send out new branches. After the branches become woody, keep branches as needed, and in June-July perform approach grafting with wintersweet, with the grafting point low. After the graft survives, separate it from the mother plant, and then carry out shaping.

5. Flowering period control: The normal flowering period of wintersweet is exactly during New Year's Day and the Spring Festival, so no manual treatment is needed. If you want wintersweet to bloom on National Day, you can place potted wintersweet in a cold room from late July to early August for low-temperature and short-day treatment.

Introduction to the benefits and effects of wintersweet flowers

Plants are diverse, and plants are also distributed according to season and climate. Among so many plant species, how much do you know about wintersweet flowers? What are wintersweet flowers? Wintersweet flowers are plants of the family Calycanthaceae. They are produced in Hubei, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Guizhou, and other places. Next, the editor will introduce them to everyone, hoping it will be helpful.

Benefits and effects of wintersweet flowers

3. Stewed tofu with wintersweet: 5 wintersweet flowers, an appropriate amount of tofu, 250 grams of cooked soybean oil, and appropriate amounts of shredded scallion, cilantro, refined salt, and pepper powder. Put the pot on the heat, and after the oil is hot, add the cut tofu strips and fry until yellow, then remove. Pour out the oil, add the shredded scallion and stir-fry briefly, add water and salt, then pour in the tofu strips and stew for 5 minutes. Add the pepper powder, and when removing from the heat, add the wintersweet flowers and monosodium glutamate to adjust the flavor.

How to grow wintersweet flowers