The season when the Omoi flowers bloom

NDO - For two consecutive years, the season of the Omoi flower came and went very quickly. This year, that gentle pinkish-red color is blooming again throughout the Southwestern provinces, most abundantly in Dong Thap .

Nowadays, the season of the crape myrtle blossoms is not only a time for nostalgic memories of childhood spent beside old crape myrtle trees, but also a time for sightseeing and recreation. It's a time to return to the countryside or a corner of the city to take souvenir photos alongside the "cherry blossoms of the West."

The Omoi tree blossoms in the March sunshine. Photo: Huu Nghia

Omoi trees grow abundantly along rural rivers, school gates, village entrances, on embankments, and along canals and ditches. Many roads in the districts of Lap Vo, Thap Muoi, Tam Nong, Thanh Binh, Hong Nguy… in Dong Thap province are also planted with omoi trees.

In some agencies in Dong Thap province, especially in Cao Laanh city and Tam Nong district, they also grow this very distinctive tree of the Southwestern region of Vietnam.

March is the time when the crape myrtle blossoms are at their most beautiful. The crape myrtle trees burst into vibrant red and pink blooms, with dense clusters of flowers covering every branch, brightening up the entire countryside. And then, every year, just after the Lunar New Year, under the March sun, the sky is covered with crape myrtle blossoms.

Each year, the crape myrtle tree only blooms for one season. Photo: HUU NGHIA

The Omoi tree has large branches and a thick trunk. The tree is about 5 to 10 meters tall and can flower and bear fruit as early as 4 years old. Each year, the Omoi tree only flowers and bears fruit once. The fruit is green when young and turns dark brown when mature. It is curved and about half a meter long. The fruit can be eaten or steeped in alcohol to treat aches and pains.

The blooming season of the Omoi tree evokes nostalgia in those who remember their childhood. Sharing with a reporter from Nhan Dan Newspaper, Mrs. Tran Thi Le, 60 years old, residing in Hamlet 6B, Truong Xuan Commune, Thap Muoi District, Dong Thap Province, said: “I have lived here from childhood to adulthood. I have witnessed the Omoi tree blooming seasons in my land.”

"In the old days, there were many large, big-canopied crape myrtle trees here. And the bigger the canopy, the more beautiful the flowers. When the wind blew, the clusters of crape myrtle flowers swayed in the sun, it was a lovely sight. I thought I would never see crape myrtle trees or crape myrtle flowers again, but when the residential area was built, the local government planted many crape myrtle trees along the roadside, and when they bloomed, they were very beautiful."

Many areas in Thap Muoi district are covered in the blossoming of the Omoi tree. Photo: Huu Nghia.

The Omoi tree is in full bloom, with clusters of reddish-pink flowers. Photo: HUU NGHIA

The fruit of the Omoi tree is green when young and turns dark brown when ripe. Photo: HUU NGHIA

Omoi trees along a rural road. Photo: HUU NGHIA

The Omoi tree is in bloom along a ditch. Photo: Huu Nghia

Tourists visit a rose apple orchard in Phu Dien commune, Thap Muoi district. Photo: HUU NGHIA

Tourists visit and take photos with the Omoi flower in Phu Dien commune, Thap Muoi district. Photo: HUU NGHIA

According to Tran Thi My Trinh, Director of the Dong Thap Provincial Library, the five Omoi trees planted inside the library are nine years old. In recent years, the trees have bloomed beautifully during the season. Readers and staff often come to take souvenir photos next to the Omoi trees.

The flowering season of the Omoi tree lasts about two months. The flowering period isn't particularly long, but it's enough to soothe our souls with the simple charm of the Omoi tree blossoms in the countryside or on street corners...

Source: https://nhandan.vn/nao-nao-mua-bong-o-moi-post799822.html