Why can a century-old tree still bloom today?

Milan flower, also known as four-season Milan or broken-grain Milan, belongs to the Meliaceae family and the genus Aglaia. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree, native to subtropical Yunnan, Fujian and other places, and distributed in Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan.

The Milan flower has dense branches and leaves, with lush green and glossy foliage, and blooms multiple times within a year, most abundantly in summer and autumn. When it blooms, a delicate fragrance fills the air, with a scent like that of an orchid. The tips of the small branches often bear star-shaped rust-colored scales; the pinnate compound leaves are alternate, and the flowers are yellow, extremely fragrant, about 2 mm in diameter. The bisexual flower stalks are slightly short and thick, the calyx has 5 lobes, and there are 5 petals, oblong; the berry is nearly spherical, 10-12 mm long, and the flowering period is between summer and autumn. The Milan flower adapts to warm and humid climatic conditions, and mature plants need ample sunlight. In southern courtyards, Milan is also an excellent landscape tree.

Milan flower

Growing environment:

It likes a warm, humid and sunny environment, is not cold-tolerant, and is slightly shade-tolerant. It has a fairly wide adaptability to soil, but it is best in deep, loose, fertile, slightly acidic sandy soil, and the winter temperature should not be lower than 10°C. It often grows in open forests or shrub forests in low-altitude mountainous areas.

Milan likes warmth, sun and fertilizer. The optimum growth temperature is 20°C-25°C. Under normal circumstances, with ample sunlight and higher temperatures (around 30°C), the flowers produced have a strong fragrance. If it is placed in a shaded place in summer and a large amount of nitrogen fertilizer is applied at the same time, Milan may fail to bloom, bloom less, or have a faint fragrance. Therefore, during the growth and development period, Milan needs to be kept outdoors in a sunny place for care, and attention should be paid to appropriately applying more liquid fertilizer containing more phosphorus. It is best to apply alum fertilizer water made by soaking and decomposing crushed bone meal, fish bones, chicken bones, etc., and frequently supplement with chemical fertilizers containing more phosphorus or fermented rice washing water, etc. All of these help bud formation, allowing it to bloom more, with golden-yellow color and a delicate fragrance.

Milan grows slowly and has a long lifespan; a century-old tree can still bloom.

Milan flower

Main value:

Milan is a flower plant beloved by people, and when it blooms the fragrance is striking. Potted Milan can be displayed in the living room, study and porch, fresh and elegant, soothing to body and mind. In southern courtyards, Milan is also an excellent landscape tree.

Distribution range:

Native to southern Asia, widely planted in tropical regions around the world. It is distributed in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan and Yunnan, and is mostly used as potted plants in the north. It is distributed in various countries of Southeast Asia. It is often cultivated in provinces such as Fujian, Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan.

Milan flower

Diseases and control:

1. Aphids: spray the plant with cigarette butt or chili water liquid. Spraying with 800-fold dilution of Mieyaling is also acceptable. If the number is small, they can be manually brushed off with a small brush. For other control methods, refer to rose.

2. Beetles: spray with 1500-fold dilution of Jiesha. If the number is small, they can be manually brushed off with a brush. For other control methods, refer to Clivia.

3. Red spider mites: use 10% fenbutatin oxide pyridaben emulsifiable concentrate (such as Guoguang Hongsha) at 1000-fold dilution or 10% fenbutatin oxide pyridaben emulsifiable concentrate (such as Guoguang Hongsha) at 1000-fold dilution + 5.7% emamectin benzoate emulsifiable concentrate (such as Guoguang Leke) at 3000-fold dilution, mix and spray for control. It is recommended to use it twice consecutively, with an interval of 7-10 days.

4. Sooty mold: this disease is likely to occur under high temperature and high humidity and poor ventilation, so please pay attention to controlling temperature and humidity and ventilation during cultivation.