Flowers bloom in the spring…wait, why do these spring flowers bloom in the winter?

Recently, Forsythia suspensa and Winter Jasmine in Beijing, Shandong, Jiangsu and other places have been blooming in winter. What is the reason for the spring flowers to bloom in winter? Will they bloom again in spring?

Temperature, light, water and other factors can affect the flowering of plants.

my country has always been known as the "Mother of World Gardens". It has very rich flower resources and a wide variety of species. Just like the nine sons of a dragon, each has its own uniqueness, so too do the flowering periods of many flowers vary. The wide variety of flowering periods is mainly due to the differences in the biological characteristics and ecological habits of different flowers, or in other words, they are all influenced by genetic genes and the ecological environment.

As the saying goes, "You reap what you sow." This shows that genetic stability is universal in plants, and the process of genetic factor change is relatively long. However, modern scientific and technological means can change the natural flowering period of flowers at the genetic level, or advance, delay, prolong, or continuously bloom. With the help of high technology, the change of flowering period seems to be easy.

The ecological environment has a significant impact on the growth and development of flowers. Ecological factors such as temperature, light, water, nutrients, soil and air will affect the flowering of flowers. Temperature, in particular, is an important environmental factor that affects the flowering of plants. It affects the survival and growth and development of flowers by regulating important physiological metabolic processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, and transpiration of plants. By using greenhouses or cold storage, according to the different growth habits of flowers, artificially setting the temperature suitable for flower bud differentiation and bud development can also regulate the flowering period.

Some flowers need strong light to bloom, such as Scutellaria barbata and tulips; some flowers bloom in the evening, such as Mirabilis jalapa and tuberose; and some flowers bloom in the morning light, such as flax and morning glory. It can be seen that light is also a key ecological factor affecting the flowering of flowers. People increase lighting facilities or build shade nets to increase light or shade, so as to adjust the flowering of flowers in advance or delay.

In order to continue their offspring, smart plants also know how to adapt to adversities such as drought. They usually complete the entire reproduction process of flowering and fruiting in a short period of time. Therefore, under the condition of meeting their growth needs, by controlling the number and amount of watering, plants can also be encouraged to bloom early.

In addition, chemical control and pruning control can also regulate the flowering rhythm of flowers. The former uses different growth regulators to break the dormancy of flowers and accelerate their growth and development. The latter uses measures such as pinching, pruning, bud removal, bud peeling, leaf removal, and ringing to advance or delay the flowering of flowers.

“Spring flowers blooming in winter” is also a natural phenomenon

Plants seem to be constantly aware of environmental changes. In the past winter of 2024, the average temperature was higher than the same period of previous years. According to the National Climate Center, 2024 was the warmest year in my country since complete observation records were kept, and it was also the warmest year in global meteorological records.

The rise in temperature has a great impact on the entire growth cycle of plants. Their most direct feeling is "Spring is here, I can bloom now". This is why "spring flowers bloom in winter". This is more common in plants such as crabapples, magnolias, peach blossoms, and lilacs.

Although "spring flowers blooming in winter" is abnormal, there are rules to follow. It is a "stress response" of plants to protect themselves in response to abnormal climate, and it is a natural phenomenon. Although flowering consumes energy, for example, after Forsythia suspensa and Winter jasmine bloom early in winter, they will not bloom again in the spring of the following year. However, because "spring flowers blooming in winter" is a local behavior, it only occurs on some branches or individual plants, so the impact on the overall flowering in the spring of the following year is limited, and it will not hinder the normal blooming of most flowers in the spring of the following year.

All the above-mentioned measures to adjust the flowering period are actually the result of the wise working people learning from nature. In ancient my country, the experience of changing the flowering period by temperature rise and fall was summarized. For example, there are records of artificially forcing flowers to bloom early by fumigating with boiling water in the Song Dynasty, and there are methods of forcing peony cultivation in the Ming Dynasty. The "changing method of forcing flowers" was recorded in the "Flower Mirror" of the Qing Dynasty. These are all evidence. Therefore, we should "learn from nature and follow the way of nature." In nature, we should observe and experience carefully, discover problems and special phenomena, summarize laws and experiences in time, and let the flowers of various shapes and forms travel through different time and space throughout the year, bringing everyone a wonderful experience and happiness.

(The author Li Jun is a senior engineer at Beijing Academy of Landscape Architecture and Greening Sciences)