【News】Chinese Fringe Tree “April Snow” Blooming in Chung Hsing Lake
- category : Achievement
- date : 2024-04-26
- views : 432
The Chinese fringe tree in Chung Hsing Lake is in full bloom. The blooming tree covered with a sea of white, dainty flowers, as if it was snowing in April, has attracted crowds of photo takers over the past few days. The tree’s vitality returned according to the diagnosis of Jenn-Wen Huang, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, in spite of a late bloom last year. This year, Professor Huang and the Office of General Affairs continued to monitor the flowering status of the Chinese fringe tree, with Professor Huang taking immediate remedial actions as soon as flowering delay was detected. Thanks to the meticulous care of Mr. Chun-Yu Chen who is in charge of landscape maintenance, the fringe tree in Chung Hsing Lake finally reached full bloom on April 15.
According to Professor Huang, fringe trees bloom in early spring from March to April. By the end of March this year, the tree had still not bloomed, displaying naked branches. He speculated that flowering delay was primarily caused by the effects of water stress and soil compaction in the root system. Low rainfall in February to March this year caused low water content in the soil. In addition, the location of the fringe tree had affected the amount of water and nutrient it can absorb from the soil: the fringe tree is located near a lake and situated on a large area of grass where the soil has been hardened by prolonged trampling by people.
An organic ecosystem is maintained on the campus of the National Chung Hsing University (NCHU). The University has championed a pesticide-free campus over the past 20 years. Under the advice of Professor Huang, eco-friendly horticultural practices are adopted to nurture the Chinese fringe tree back to life. First, the soil around the roots is loosened by the shovel and using Bacillus mycoides biofertilizer, , the product developed by Professor Huang (and produced by Sinon Corporation under the authorization of NCHU). This bio-fertilizer acts as a nutritional supplement for trees, making trees healthier by improving its ability to absorb water and nutrients. Second, the soil around the roots is covered with burlap sacks to keep the soil moist and leave room for the roots to breath.
After two weeks of attentive care by the Office of General Affairs and Mr. Chun-Yu Chen, the Chinese fringe tree in Chung Hsing Lake eventually bloomed in the beginning of April. The blooming period is expected to last until the end of April. We welcome everyone to visit the lake and witness the beauty of the “April Snow.”
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In the meticulous care of Professor Jenn-Wen Huang (right) and Mr. Chun-Yu Chen (left), the fringe tree in Chung Hsing Lake finally reached full bloom.
The soil around the roots is covered with burlap sacks to keep the soil moist and leave room for the roots to breath.
Chinese Fringe Tree “April Snow” Blooming in Chung Hsing Lake.
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