Mai Trees: Planting, Caring, and the Significance of Mai Flowers on Tet

Images of vibrant mai flowers blooming on street corners, in home gardens are not only the joy of every Vietnamese family but also symbols of prosperity and good luck as spring arrives. In this article, Mytour Blog will guide you through the planting and care of mai trees - a type of tree considered a symbol of prosperity, carrying deep spiritual significance during the traditional Tet holiday.

Overview of Mai Trees

To understand more about the beauty and significance of mai trees, let's explore their origins and unique characteristics:

Origin of Mai Trees

This is a type of woody plant belonging to the Ochna family (Ochnaceae), Ochna genus. There are many different varieties of this tree, but the most common ones are the yellow mai (Ochna integerrima) and the peach blossom mai (Ochna serrulata). This is a tree favored by the Vietnamese for planting during the Lunar New Year, especially in the southern region. The tree is mainly distributed in the Truong Son mountainous region, the Mekong Delta, and some provinces in the Central region such as Quang Nam, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen...

Characteristics of Mai Trees

Here are some prominent characteristics of the mai tree that Mytour has compiled:

• Shape and Root System: The mai tree is a long-lived woody plant, with a lifespan of over 100 years. It has a tall, upright trunk with a majestic appearance. Its branches are strong and can be bent and shaped as desired. The leaves grow alternately, sparsely, creating a cool and airy space. When grown from seeds, the tree can reach a height of 20 – 30m, with a large, deep-rooted, sturdy base, and unique shapes.
• Mai Leaves: The leaves are egg-shaped, long, pointed, with a bluish-green color, glossy, and the underside is light yellow, creating a beautiful contrast. The leaves are simple, growing alternately on the branches, with clear leaf veins and small serrated edges.
• Mai Flowers: The flowers are hermaphroditic, with petals, stamens, and pistils in the same flower. They grow in clusters in the leaf axils, with each cluster containing 3 to 5 flowers, each with 5 petals, bright yellow in color, and fragrant. Some types of mai flowers have more petals, from 9 to 10 petals, which are considered rare and more beautiful. When the female flowers bloom, small green buds will appear near the base of the branch. About a week later, the green buds will bloom into brilliant yellow mai flowers. Mai flowers have a short lifespan, only blooming for about 3 days before withering. Not all mai flowers bear fruit. If there are fruits, when the flowers wither, the fruit will swell, containing many small black seeds.
• Blooming Time: Flowers usually bloom in spring, right on the occasion of Lunar New Year, bringing characteristic colors and fragrances to the Tet holiday. Depending on the weather, mai flowers may bloom earlier or later than the expected time.

What is the significance of mai flowers during Tet?

Below are some meanings of mai flowers during Tet:

• Representing prosperity, wealth, and abundance. Mai flowers are displayed in homes to wish for a new year filled with luck, fortune, and prosperity.
• Symbolizing nobility, elegance, and magnificence. The vibrant yellow mai flowers also express joy, radiant happiness, love, and the spirit of unity and affection.
• Symbolic of resilience, strong will, and noble virtues. With its upright trunk, deep roots, and ability to withstand storms, mai flowers blooming during Tet signify endurance, patience, and lofty sacrifice.

Images of popular mai varieties today

Here are some common types of mai flowers commonly grown in Vietnam:

White Apricot Blossom

This is a tall woody plant that can reach up to 15m, commonly found in Ben Tre, Ba Den Mountain - Tay Ninh, and Ha Tien. The flowers are round with 6 - 8 pale white petals, yellow stamens, resembling porcelain flowers. This type of white apricot blossom requires high planting and care techniques.

Pink Apricot Blossom

Pink apricot blossom is a small woody plant, scientifically known as Jatropha pandurifolia, ranging from 1 to 4m in height. The flowers have 5 light pink petals, vibrant yellow stamens, clustered at the top of the branches. Pink apricot blossom blooms all year round. When ripe, the fruit of pink apricot blossom turns dark brown.

Four Seasons Apricot Blossom

This flower is also known as red mai, scientifically named Ochna Atropurpurea. It blooms all year round. This type of mai has the unique characteristic of blooming in two colors, yellow and then red. When it first blooms, Four Seasons Apricot Blossom has 5 vibrant yellow petals, which gradually fade. At this point, the 5 sepals will turn dark red around the flower bud.

Apricot Blossom of Happiness

Apricot Blossom of Happiness, also known as plum blossom, scientifically named Prunes Mume, is a small woody plant only 6 - 9m tall. The leaves of apricot blossom of happiness are oval-shaped, wide, pointed, with serrated edges. The flowers have 5 petals, white or pink, clustered at the ends of branches. When young, the fruit of apricot blossom of happiness is green, and when ripe, it turns yellow, with a sweet and sour taste.

Water Reflecting Apricot Blossom

This is a perennial plant, scientifically named Wrightia Religios, with light green leaves, long, paired growth. The plant is about 1.5m tall, with many branches and a large base. Water reflecting apricot blossom has small white flowers with 5 petals, clustered together, emitting a gentle fragrance.

Melody of Apricot Blossoms

Melody of apricot blossoms is a flower with delicate and pure white color. The name of this flower originates from its characteristic of blooming and bearing fruit in pairs.

Royal Apricot Blossom

Golden apricot blossom, also known as yellow apricot or lab mai, is a flower with five bright yellow petals, small and charming. This type of apricot blossom only blooms once a year in spring, symbolizing luck and prosperity for the homeowner.

Solemn Apricot Blossom

Solemn apricot blossom is a hardwood tree with a black trunk and a large base. Its small green leaves are sharp like a needle. The flowers of the solemn apricot blossom are white when blooming and turn red when withering. The flowers are small, thin, and grow singly or in clusters.

Daisy Apricot Blossom

Daisy apricot blossom is a precious tree originating from the land of Binh Dinh. It has a sturdy wooden trunk with many branches, ranging from 30cm to 1.5m in height depending on the variety. The daisy apricot blossom has beautiful flowers, which can have few or many petals depending on how it is cared for. If cared for well, the daisy apricot blossom can have up to 150 petals.

Fortune Mai

Fortune mai flowers have evenly round petals, vibrant colors, with the number of petals ranging from 24 to 56. This is a rare type of mai, symbolizing auspiciousness, heralding a new year of peace, prosperity, and success.

Green Mai

Green Mai, also known as Petrea Volubilis, is a climbing plant belonging to the Mai family originating from Central America and Mexico. The stems of the plant are grayish-brown, slightly rough, with a length of up to 10 - 12m. Currently, the two most common types of green mai flowers are Thai mai and Dalat green mai.

How to Plant Yellow Mai Trees

Here is a detailed guide on how to plant, care for, and understand the significance of yellow mai trees so that you can choose a beautiful and suitable tree for Tet:

Propagation Techniques

There are several ways to propagate yellow mai trees, but the most common are two methods: planting from seeds and planting from stem cuttings.

• Planting from Seeds: Trees propagated from seeds can live for 30 - 40 years. These trees require minimal care, grow naturally, and save time and effort for growers. However, planting from seeds may result in losing some of the good characteristics of the parent tree, such as fewer branches, different flower colors, smaller flower size, etc.
• Planting from Stem Cuttings: Stem cuttings are a method to preserve the good traits of the parent tree for the offspring. Select small, healthy branches, cut about 3-4cm of bark, wrap soil around the cut, and water regularly for 3 months. Then, cut the branches and plant the tree in new soil.

Light

The plant needs to be placed in a location with sufficient light, not shaded by other trees. Adequate light helps the plant grow well, producing more beautiful flowers.

Soil

Plants thrive in soil with a pH range of 5.5 – 6.5, rich in moisture and nutrients. You can mix the soil with coconut fiber, compost, manure, peat moss, etc., to enhance soil fertility and drainage.

Fertilization

Mai trees need to be fertilized regularly, about 2 – 3 times per month. It's advisable to use fertilizers high in nitrogen and phosphorus, with less potassium to promote more branches and flowers. NPK fertilizer is suitable for the plant. Fertilize away from the base of the tree to avoid root burn. Additionally, you can also apply organic fertilizers such as manure, poultry manure after changing the soil for the tree, around 3 – 4 months intervals.

Watering

Plants need to be watered regularly, twice a day in the morning and afternoon. The amount of water should be moderate, neither too much to avoid waterlogging, nor too little to prevent wilting. Water should only be applied to the base of the plant, avoiding wetting the leaves and flowers. If planting mai trees at the beginning of the rainy season, attention should be paid to adjusting the watering amount according to the weather.

Caring for Mai Trees Before & After Tet

Taking care of mai trees before and after Tet will be influenced by various factors and measures to help the trees grow well and bloom beautifully:

Before Tet Period

You need to pay attention to fertilizing to stimulate budding, watering sufficiently, pest and weed control, and leaf pruning to stimulate mai flowers to bloom on Tet occasion. The time for leaf pruning is usually at the end of the lunar November. Cut the bark into strips about 3 – 4cm long, not too deep into the tree trunk, and wrap the soil mixture around the cut. Water regularly after pruning the leaves. If by the 25th of lunar December the tree hasn't budded, you should water it with warm water at 30 – 40°C.

Post-Tet Period

After Tet, mai trees need to be pruned and their trunks cleaned. You should prune mai branches before the 15th day of the lunar month, cutting off ⅓ of the branches or trimming the upper branches shorter than the lower ones. Then, spray water with strong force and apply concentrated urea fertilizer to the trunk, wait for 10 minutes, and use a brush to remove moss and mold.

Mytour hopes that through this article, you have found useful guidance on planting and caring for mai trees as well as gained a deeper understanding of the significance of mai flowers during Tet. Let this plant beautify your home space, bringing happiness and luck for the upcoming Tet holiday.