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desertrose00

name of a plant ?

desertrose00
18 years ago

my sister-inlaw gave me a plant she calls it a new year plant she doesnt speak english well shes from vietnam does any one know the correct name it has yellow blossoms

thanks

Comments (10)

  • TonyfromOz
    18 years ago

    See my reply (linked below) to an earlier query. I suspect this may be your plant.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Ochna integerrima

  • desertrose00
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks that looks just like it.

  • Eggo
    18 years ago

    It may also be Ochna serrulata, the other Mickey Mouse plant. Its flowers tend to point downwards and it seems to have longer stems. The leaves are more narrow, elongated, and jagged. It seems to be more easily available here, well at least in Southern California. I would like to get my hands on Ochna integerrima.

  • Eggo
    18 years ago

    It starts blooming about a week before Chinese New Year.

  • ntt_hou
    18 years ago

    DesertRose00, in Vietnamese,it's called Hoa Mai (see the link below and scroll down to the name). It is an ornamental plant most used in South Viet Nam during Tet, our Lunar New Year. In the North, the peach blossoms are mostly used because Hoa Mai is a tropical plant and doesn't survive with the cold climate in the north. Other common names are the Yellow Apricot Blossom and the Vietnamese Mickey Mouse plant.

    The plant that Eggo mentioned is of the same family. However, the common name of Mickey Mouse is more suitable for this one (Eggo's) because when the petals of the flower fall out, the sepals turns from green to red while holding the black seeds. It resembles the face of Mickey Mouse. However, Hoa Mai blossoms do not turn red.

    Since our Lunar New Year is of different date every year, you can force them to blossom during the New Year by picking out all the leaves 7 weeks before the New Year. The flowers will grow out before the leaves do. You may not need to use this forcing method if you live in a tropical climate but if you live in the US, you mostly do.

    Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.floraexotica.ca/Flower.htm

  • ntt_hou
    18 years ago

    Although, I mentioned that Hoa Mai is an ornamental plant for Tet, given the right climate, it grows quite big into a beautiful tree.

  • desertrose00
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks ntt hou thats it my sister in law told me to pull off the leaves but not when to thanks for letting me know.
    I didnt pull them this year i will next year

  • desertrose00
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    ntthou have you ever ordered from the site you gave?is it a good place to order from thanks

  • Eggo
    18 years ago

    ntt_hou, that's odd I had always thought both species develop the micky mouse like looking seeds and color. The few pictures of Ochna integerrima also seem to suggest this. Could there be lots of mis-labeled plants out there, like many of the things sold?

  • sourgrass
    17 years ago

    I believe there is a confusion out there regarding two different Ochna Integerrima and Ochna serrulata.
    I total agree with ntt_hou that Ochna Integerrima blossoms do not turn red and vietnamese name is "hoa mai".
    Ochna serrulata where its blossoms turn red which look like a mickey mouse with the black seeds (fruits). Vietnamese name is "mai tu quy". This kind of ochna is not very popular in Vietnam. Most of ochna pictures posted on internet are ochna serrulata (mickey mouse), some are labeled mistakenly as Ochna Integerrima.
    Cheers,

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