Baoquocte.vn. Every year from March to May, cherry blossoms bloom all over Japan. In Vietnam, this flower also blooms in the historic land of Dien Bien.
During my time working at the Vietnamese Consulate General in Osaka (2007-2010), I had the opportunity to learn about Japanese cherry blossom trees.
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| Edohigan cherry blossom garden in Pa Khoang, Muong Phang, Dien Bien. (Photo: Le Duc Luu) |
Just like Sake, there are many types of cherry blossoms in Japan. We can distinguish these flowers based on the number of petals, shape, color as well as the time of blooming.
Typical cherry blossoms
Japanese cherry blossoms come in three main colors: white, pinkish white, and red. One of the most popular is the Yoko cherry blossom, a hybrid of the Amagi Yoshino and Kanhi varieties.
Yoko is a single cherry tree with 5 thick petals, white, pinkish white flowers, long lasting. They start blooming in late March and early April when the weather is warm and depending on the temperature each year. In particular, when the flowers are all in bloom, new leaves grow, so the cherry blossom trees only have branches and flowers, looking very beautiful.
The Edohigan cherry blossom is one of two varieties that are used to breed the Yoshino cherry blossom. This variety is popular and is found mainly in the Kanto region.
Edohigan cherry blossoms have smaller petals than Yoshino, and typically bloom in late March, but the blooming time can vary slightly depending on weather conditions.
With over 100 varieties, Somei-Yoshino cherry blossoms include wild cherry blossoms that are very popular in Japan, which are a cross between Edohigan and Oshima cherry blossoms.
Kawazu cherry blossoms are the earliest to bloom in Japan. You can find a large number of them in a town called Kawazu on the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Meanwhile, the Takato Kohigan cherry blossoms are a special variety that bloom in early April. The five-petaled flowers have a soft pink-red hue and are only found in the park of Takato Castle in Nagano Prefecture.
In addition, there are some other types such as Shidare cherry blossoms with long and drooping branches. Yama cherry blossoms with 5 pink petals, can be distinguished from other cherry blossoms by the purple leaves. Ichiyo cherry blossoms have 20-30 pink petals, are double flowers, look like carnations and bloom the latest compared to other species. Meanwhile, Kanzan cherry blossoms have more than 5 petals.
Kanhi cherry blossoms are common in Okinawa, southern Japan. They bloom from mid-January to February. On Honshu, they usually bloom in early March.
Known as the flower with many petals, Kiku cherry blossoms bloom the latest in Japan, usually from late April to early May. In Tokyo, you can see these flowers in parks and Japanese gardens.
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| Dr. Tran Le (far left) receives foreign tourists visiting the cherry blossom garden. (Photo: Le Duc Luu) |
The largest Edohigan cherry blossom garden in Vietnam
Applied agricultural scientist, Dr. Tran Le was the one who brought the purebred Edohigan cherry blossom variety to Vietnam in 2006 in Pa Khoang, Muong Phang, Dien Bien province, through a Japanese man named Yoshihira with the first 10 seeds.
After 45 days of care, these 10 flower seeds grew into 9 plants. Then, during the visit of a Japanese business delegation to Vietnam, Mr. Yoshihira gave 50 more seeds and the third batch was 200 seeds.
At this time, it was very difficult to get to Pa Khoang, but through research, Dr. Tran Le realized that the soil and climate in this area were very suitable for breeding and growing Japanese Edohigan cherry blossoms.
Through discussion, Dr. Tran Le said that the reason for successfully propagating Edohigan cherry blossoms in Vietnam is thanks to four necessary factors.
First , the seedlings must be healthy, free of pests and diseases, and it is necessary to find out what kind of cherry blossoms you intend to plant and what their growth characteristics are. According to the Doctor, Edohigan is a relatively heat-resistant cherry blossom species, second only to Kawazu.
Second , it is necessary to research and survey the area where the plant is planned to be planted and what the soil is like there. Dr. Tran Le spent a year to find this land in Pa Khoang. The soil here is loose and rich in humus and nutrients.
This is a very important factor, because in the cherry blossom species introduced above, all are very beautiful, but just because they are beautiful and planted, they will not grow, because in the past, many companies proactively imported some Japanese cherry blossom species to Vietnam, but they were not successful in planting them because they were not suitable for this factor.
Third , cherry blossoms mostly cannot withstand strong sunlight from 39 - 42 degrees Celsius. In strong sunlight, their leaves are easily burned, and the tree grows slowly. However, there are many ways to overcome this problem. The temperature for flowers to grow stably is from 35 degrees Celsius or below.
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| Certificate from the World Federation of Creators recognizing Dr. Tran Le's propagation of Edohigan cherry blossoms in Vietnam. (Photo: Le Duc Luu) |
Fourth , water is also very important. Cherry blossoms need to be planted in a high, dry place that is not flooded and has good drainage. When the tree is flooded, it is very easy to die. In the rainy season, the tree's leaves turn yellow and fall off, which is a sign of excess water. The best way to handle this is to plant it in a high, well-drained place.
Thus, after 18 years of grafting and breeding, now the Pa Khoang cherry blossom garden, Muong Phang has become a tourist area of Dien Bien province with over 100,000 trees. This is also the largest Edohigan cherry blossom garden in Vietnam today.
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