Root Awakening: Derum Bukit produces attractive flowers

Cratoxylum maingayi is a deciduous tree

A tree outside our neighbour’s house is in bloom, with multiple pink flowers. This tree is nondescript and for most of the year appears to be barely surviving, with sparse leaves and spidery branches. What is it?

Leon Foo & Teoh Pei Fen

The tree is likely the Derum Bukit (botanical name: Cratoxylum maingayi). It is deciduous, meaning that it will shed most of its leaves annually before blooming.

Plant could be a cultivar of the Chinese Spinach

What is this plant? It sprouted in one of my pots while I was away for two weeks.

Andrew Eng

The plant appears to be a young Chinese Spinach, also known as Bayam (botanical name: Amaranthus tricolor). Check if any plants of this species are growing in the vicinity. The seeds of this leafy vegetable spread readily when there are mature plants nearby.

Dracaena fragrans is not shade-tolerant

My Dracaena fragrans plants’ shoots turn brown at their base, as do the leaves. I water it once a month, and the roots are dry and do not smell rotten even when the plant browns. What is wrong and how can I resolve this issue?

Vivian Kang

Is your plant placed indoors? Dracaena fragrans is not a shade-tolerant plant and will not survive for long in deep shade. A lack of light will gradually weaken it, which can lead to developmental and pest issues.

Move it near a window, or to the balcony or corridor. This plant needs at least six hours of filtered sunlight daily.

Longan plants need to be pollinated

I repotted my longan tree about 18 months ago. It has flowered, but has yet to bear fruit. What should I do?

Loo Leong Peow

Your longan plant may not be fruiting due to a lack of pollination. Bees are the primary pollinator of longan flowers, and wet and gloomy weather decreases bee activity.

Note that the use of pesticides, even organic ones, can deter beneficial biodiversity such as pollinators. Also, try growing plants that produce nectar-­rich flowers to entice bees to your garden, so that they will pollinate the flowers of your longan. 

Ensure that your plants are well-watered during the hot season – as a lack of water can cause developing fruit to be aborted – but not to the point where the roots become waterlogged.

Papayas need sunlight and space

Why do my papaya plants look so bare?

Wilson Tay

The papaya plant can grow quite large, and your pot looks small and crowded. These plants can be difficult to grow in high-rise apartments due to space constraints. You may want to select the healthiest plant and remove the rest.

Next, move the surviving papaya plant to a pot with a diameter of at least 60cm. Papaya plants need ample root space and well-draining soil to thrive. They do not tolerate wet feet.

Papaya plants are best grown outdoors under full sun. A low-light apartment setting may cause them to look etiolated, meaning that their stems appear stretched and elongated. These plants will lack vigour and be prone to pest attacks.