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Growing a Flowering Plum Bonsai |
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Interested in growing your own bonsai? The first step is to choose the right kind of plant.
Flowering plum includes a variety of plum trees that are both native and introduced, and can be found growing on the low slopes and in valleys across the United States and southern Canada. They can even be seen by the sides of roads and along fences -- especially in those parts of North America with moist soil that is made of clay, loam, and sand.
Flowering plums are largely grown for their ornamental value, though some species are also enjoyed for their tasty fruit, which can be made into jelly. They grow quickly and can reach a height of approximately nine meters.
The most common domesticated plum is the common garden plum that is found in Europe and western Asia. It was brought to North America by French and British colonists. Its gray bark may be either smooth or fissured.
The American plum has a scaly, dark brown bark. It is native to North America and is found throughout much of the eastern USA, western Oklahoma, northern Montana, and south-eastern Saskatchewan. The American plum grows throughout the entire state of Ohio, as well.
The Canada plum is found in North America, but grows best in southern Canada and the northern United States west of Minnesota and Illinois. In Ohio it can be found in a few of the northern counties. Some types of the Canada plum have been developed for fruit and others for flowers.
The leaf of the Flowering Plum is broad and usually less than 13 cm long. Leaves turn purple or bronze in the autumn before falling off. The flower bud is pink, but it turns white when it opens. The fruit pip is a little bigger than 3 cm and is red and blue. When it matures it hangs low on twigs which are only as thick as a pencil. The bark is furrowed and dark brown.
So you can see that you have several choices when considering planting and growing a flowering plum bonsai plant in your home. Choose based on your aesthetic preferences, and also on weather zone tolerances of the various types. And enjoy!
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