Root Awakening: Do not eat Fukugi Tree’s fruit

Fruit is a mangosteen relative, but should not be consumed

What is this tree? Is the fruit edible?

Kumarasamy Jeyatharan

This tree is commonly known as the Fukugi Tree (Garcinia subelliptica). It is related to the common mangosteen. Its fruit turns yellow when ripe and emits a pleasant scent. However, it is inadvisable to consume it, as it has not been documented to be edible and may have undesirable effects if eaten. As such, if you choose to grow a Fukugi Tree, it should be as an ornamental plant.

Climbing plant may be too big for balconies

Can the Bauhinia kockiana be grown on HDB balconies? Mine faces west.

Soh Kok Heng

The Kock’s Bauhinia (Phanera kockiana) is a large woody vine that requires lots of space to grow well. It is usually grown outdoors under full sun and needs long hours of sunlight to thrive and flower.

It needs a large root space to grow, and the size of the planter box needed may not be practical in the balconies of Housing Board flats. The vine will grow and send out long stems, which can be difficult to maintain. It may also grow beyond the boundary of your balcony and encroach into your neighbours’ space.

Round holes in leaves likely made by leaf-cutter bee

Bees are important pollinators and should not be harmed, despite the cosmetic damage caused to this plant. PHOTO: PETER TAN

This plant’s leaves are being eaten by some pests. I have used neem oil and natural pyrethrum, but to no avail. How can I get rid of the pests eating the leaves? Also, what is this plant?

Peter Tan

The tree is the golden form of Horse Bush (Dendrolobium umbellatum). The round holes on the leaves were likely made by a leaf-cutter bee, such as the Broad-headed Leafcutter Bee (Megachile laticeps). The bee uses the leaf discs for nesting, and the damage is mostly cosmetic and seasonal.

Bees are important pollinators in the garden and should not be harmed. Physical barriers may be erected, such as by caging the plant or covering it with a net, but are not aesthetically pleasing. The constant spraying of pesticides is also not sustainable and will harm these beneficial fauna and pollute the environment.

Soapbush is a weed

This plant has been documented as an ingredient in traditional medicine. PHOTO: LILIAN QUEK

What is the name of this plant? Does it have any medicinal benefits?

Lilian Quek

The plant seems to be a weed that commonly occurs in local landscapes. Botanically known as Miconia crenata, its common names include soapbush, clidemia and Koster’s curse.

This plant has been used in traditional medicine. For example, its crushed leaves are used to stop bleeding.

Dracaena may be in decline due to rotten roots, lack of light

I bought this bamboo plant five months ago. I have kept it out of direct sunlight and water it weekly. Why are the leaves turning yellow and some stalks turning brown? The pot does not seem to have a drainage hole.

Jessica Low

The arrangement you have is made up of stem cuttings of the Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana), although it is not related to the bamboo at all.

It is often sold as an indoor showpiece, but still requires good light to grow well and should be exposed to at least four hours of filtered sunlight a day. Under such conditions, it also needs to have a sufficiently moist root zone.

You may want to take the stems out of the container to inspect them. Do the stems have roots, or is the root system extensive? The lack of drainage could lead to rotten roots if the stems and roots are waterlogged.

All these factors will prevent the plants from taking up water and nutrients, which are essential for good health and robust growth.

You may want to remove the dead stems and pot the healthy ones in a container with drainage holes at the base. The growing medium should be kept moist and given enough sun.

• Answers by Dr Wilson Wong, an NParks-certified practising horticulturist and parks manager. He is the founder of Green Culture Singapore and an adjunct assistant professor (Food Science & Technology) at the National University of Singapore.
• Have a gardening query? E-mail it with clear, high-resolution pictures of at least 1MB, if any, and your full name to [email protected]. We reserve the right to edit and reject questions.
• Join a gardening talk by Dr Wong, How To Not Kill Your Plants, as part of Singapore Garden Festival 2024 on Aug 5 from 5 to 6pm. Go to sgf.nparks.gov.sg for details and buy tickets at str.sg/iJtM2