Hundreds of mai anh dao tree (Prunus Cesacoides), a special kind of cherry blossom tree in Da Lat, are withering along many roads. Forest managers claim the trees are dying of natural causes.

Hundreds of mai anh dao tree (Prunus Cesacoides), a special kind of cherry blossom tree in Da Lat, are withering along many roads. Forest managers claim the trees are dying of natural causes.

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Of 584 mai anh dao trees managed by the Da Lat Urban Work Management Company, 134 have withered or are on the verge of dying, mainly along the streets of Ho Tung Mau, 3/4, Xo Viet Nghe Tinh and Tran Le.

Not only mai anh dao trees, but other ancient trees in Da Lat’s villas and restaurants have died.

Da Lat Urban Work Management Company Deputy Director Chu Tuan Son claimed that these trees died because they “couldn’t wake up after hibernation”. According to Son, at the year’s end, mai anh dao often shed their leaves to hibernate. Afterwards, the trees wake up and yield flowers. Those that do not awaken will wither. “This is a natural phenomenon of the mai anh dao trees,” Son explained.

Mai anh dao blossom in the spring.

Residents, however, believe differently. They assert that this is the first time they have witnessed so many trees dying at the same time. Initially, their leaves faded and fell off, and then the trees died. Their stumps decayed and their roots were rotten.

Huynh Minh Xuyen, Chair of Lam Dong Province Association of Ornamental Creatures, reported that the mai anh dao may die due to pests. “In my observation, many withered mai anh dao trees have rotten roots, which is a sign of pest attacks,” he concluded.

Xuyen suggested initiating research into this phenomenon.

PV