The Flora of Liu Fang Yuan 流芳園

Peach (tao 桃)

Prunus persica ‘Early White’

Family name: Rosaceae

Cultural significance: The peach tree, its fruit, and its flowers frequently appear in Chinese art and literature as symbols of longevity and spring. Peach trees appear in some of the earliest Chinese literature of the first millennium BCE, where they personify youthful feminine beauty. Early myths, meanwhile, suggest that the peach fruits of immortality grow in the garden of the goddess Xiwangmu in the Kunlun Mountains to the west of central China. Peach flowers are associated with the reclusive poet Tao Yuanming (also known as Tao Qian, ca. 365–427 CE), who wrote the short story “Peach Blossom Spring.” In that tale, a fisherman follows a brook lined with blossoming peach trees and discovers a utopia beyond the stream’s source.

Use: The peach is cultivated for its edible fruit, its flowers, and its medicinal qualities. The pit, which is mildly toxic, is used in traditional Chinese medicine. Peach wood was thought to protect against evil spirits.

Distribution: Native to northwest China.

Flowering period: January to March.

Botanical note: Although its scientific name suggests an origin in Persia, the peach probably emerged in China, where it has been cultivated since the Neolithic period (10,000–4,500 BCE). Peach pits have been found in Chinese tombs dated to 6000 BCE.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach 

“Peach Blossom Spring” by Tao Yuanming:  taoqian_peachblossom (columbia.edu) 

Accession number: 97585

Gardenia (zhi zi 栀子)

Gardenia jasminoides ‘Veitchii’

Family name: Rubiaceae

Cultural significance: A common garden plant in southern China, gardenia’s Chinese name can be understood as “wine-cup tree.” The gardenia appears in paintings from the Song dynasty (960–1279) onward. Artworks from that time illustrate both wild and double-flowering forms, suggesting that the plants had already been domesticated.

Use: The flowers have been cultivated for their ornamental value since early times. The fruit is used in traditional Chinese medicine for its anti-inflammatory qualities as a tea or topical ointment.

Distribution: The species is native from Indochina to southern Japan. It has been cultivated in China for over one thousand years.

Flowering period: April to October.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardenia_jasminoides  

 Gardenia jasminoides in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 97579

Wintersweet (la mei 蠟梅)

Chimonanthus praecox

Family name: Calycanthaceae

Cultural significance: Wintersweet—known in Chinese as the “wax plum”— has been cultivated as a garden ornamental since the Song dynasty (960–1279). Because its fragrant, waxy yellow flowers bloom in winter, wintersweet is often treated in poetry and painting as the flower of the twelfth lunar month. It sometimes substitutes for the flowering plum (Prunus mume) in the “Three Friends of the Cold Season” (suihan sanyou 歲寒三友)—the trio of bamboo, pine, and plum that metaphorizes the steadfast virtue of the ideal scholar-official.

Use: The leaves, roots, flowers, and seeds of the wintersweet are all used in traditional Chinese medicine. A popular garden ornamental, sprigs of wax plum are also used to create flower arrangements and hair ornaments during the lunar new year and to scent cupboards.  

Distribution: Native to China.

Flowering period: December to February.

Botanical note: Because of its extensive and long cultivation in China, it is difficult to determine the precise wild distribution of the plant.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimonanthus_praecox  

 Chimonanthus praecox in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 97748/118312

Sweet Olive (gui hua 桂花 or mu xi 木犀)

Osmanthus fragrans

Family name: Oleaceae

Cultural significance: Since its subtle, fragrant flowers bloom in autumn, sweet olive is an emblem of the Mid-Autumn Festival of the eighth lunar month. Osmanthus is also associated with success in the provincial civil service examinations, which were held in the same month. Its Chinese name (gui 桂) is a homophone for the character meaning “noble” or “distinguished” (gui 貴), so it is often used in rebuses concerning nobility, literary merit, and scholarly pursuits.

Use: Sweet olive flowers are infused in tea and used as seasoning for scented jams, cakes, dumplings, soups, and liquors, especially during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The flowers are also used in Chinese medicine.

Distribution: Native to Asia, including southern China; cultivated widely.

Flowering period: September to November; some repeat-blooming.

Botanical note: In English-language scholarship on China, sweet olive is often confused with the cassia tree, Cinnamomum cassia, of the laurel family, because the Chinese names of both include the character gui 桂. Today, the cassia tree is usually called rou gui 肉桂.

Links to other resources:

   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmanthus_fragrans  

 Osmanthus fragrans in Flora of China @efloras.org 

Accession number: 95245

Yulan Magnolia (yu lan 玉蘭)

Magnolia denudata

Family name: Magnoliaceae

Cultural significance: The white Yulan magnolia is an emblem of purity. Its Chinese name, yulan, literally means “jade orchid,” as the tree’s blossoms evoke the beauty of the precious stone. Yulan magnolia was cultivated in Chinese Buddhist temples as early as 600 CE and was planted on the grounds of the imperial palace during the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE). It remains a popular garden plant in China today.

Use: Magnolias are valued primarily as garden plants, but the bark and flower buds of certain species, such as Magnolia officinalis, have long been used in Chinese medicine. In some parts of Asia, magnolia buds are used to flavor rice and perfume tea.

Distribution: Native to central and eastern China.

Flowering period: January to February.

Botanical note: The magnolia is an ancient plant genus that appeared before the existence of bees. The flowers are thought to have evolved to attract beetles as pollinators.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_denudata 

Accession number: 120177

Apricot (xing 杏)

Prunus armeniaca ‘Gold Kist’

Family name: Rosaceae

Cultural significance: The apricot is associated with education and passing the imperial exams. Apricots bloom in the second lunar month when the metropolitan exams were held; further, a variant of its name can be a pun for taking first place. During the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE), successful examinees were invited to a banquet in the apricot grove of the imperial gardens.

Use: An important edible fruit, apricots have been preserved in China by drying, salting, and smoking for at least a thousand years.

Distribution: Widely cultivated in China.

Flowering period: January to March.

Botanical note: Due to its long and extensive cultivation, apricot’s native range is unclear, but it most likely originated in Central Asia. Research suggests that there were several separate domestications, including one in China.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_armeniaca 

Accession number: 138835

Taiwan Cotton Rose (shan fu rong 山芙蓉)

Hibiscus taiwanensis

Family name: Malvaceae

Cultural significance: Hibiscus is a popular ornamental in southern China. Though Hibiscus taiwanensis is a relatively new introduction to gardens, its relative, Hibiscus mutabilis (mu furong 木芙蓉), which is native to south and southwest China, has a long-recorded history. The word “hibiscus” (furong 芙蓉) is a pun for “wealth” (fu 富) and “glory” (rong 榮).

Use: The flowers of Hibiscus mutabilis, which are edible, are processed to make dyes and are used in Chinese medicine.

Distribution: Taiwan.

Flowering period: September to November.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus 

Accession number: 84468

Chinese Wisteria (zi teng 紫藤)

Wisteria sinensis

Family name: Fabaceae

Cultural significance: Although not well recorded in art and literature, wisteria has been cultivated as a common garden plant for 1500 years. Its Chinese name literally means “purple vine.” Because of its prolific purple flowers, it is sometimes associated with the purple sashes and cords (zi shou 紫綬) used to secure government officials’ seals; consequently, it appears in auspicious wishes for high rank. However, because the vine spreads vigorously over other plants, it (like other vining plants) has also been used to metaphorize insidious, corrupt officials.

Use: Cultivated as a garden plant, wisteria is usually trained to hang or climb over rocks in Chinese gardens.

Distribution: Native to China.

Flowering period: March to April.

Botanical note: A deciduous climbing vine, wisteria belongs to the legume family, Fabaceae. Its seeds—whose pods appear somewhat similar to those of the edible pea (Pisum sativum)—are toxic.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisteria_sinensis  

 Wisteria sinensis in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 93541

Sapphire Dragon Tree (Taiwan pao tong 台灣泡桐 or bai tong 白桐)

Paulownia kawakamii

Family name: Paulowniaceae

Use: The fast-growing trees of the Paulownia genus produce a light but strong wood that is harvested across East Asia. Paulownia tomentosa, in particular, is used to craft painting boxes, chests, and furniture, and to produce the sound boards of musical instruments such as the qin and zheng zithers. (A P. tomentosa specimen is visible at the north end of The Huntington’s West Parking Lot.)

Distribution: Native to China and Taiwan.

Flowering period: March to May.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulownia  

 Paulownia kawakamii in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 127517

Lilac (Ou ding xiang 歐丁香)

Syringa vulgaris ‘Lavender Lady’

Family name: Oleaceae

Cultural significance: Lilacs—in particular, Syringa oblata, perhaps the most widely cultivated native lilac in China—have been featured in poetry since at least the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE). Their unopened buds, whose petals cling tightly to each other, were often used to metaphorize a poet’s bonds to their family or friends; they appear frequently in verses lamenting a poet’s separation from those dear to them.

Distribution: This lilac species is native to the Balkan Peninsula but is widely cultivated worldwide.

Flowering period: May to June.

Botanical note: About 16 species of lilac are native to China. S. oblata has been grown as an ornamental and medicinal plant for centuries. S. vulgaris, the common lilac seen in this photograph, has been grown in European gardens since the 16th century.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syringa_vulgaris 

Accession number: 94463

Flowering Plum (mei 梅)

Prunus mume ‘Peggy Clarke’

Family name: Rosaceae

Cultural significance: The flowering plum serves in a poetry as an emblem of spring renewal, the transience of life, feminine beauty, loneliness, and more. Its association with reclusion made it a favorite subject of poets and artists, who frequently employed it as a signifier of high-minded withdrawal from government service and of the untrammeled life of a hermit. Plum also connotes longevity, as the trees can live to a very old age. Because plum typically is the first plant to bloom in the cold of early spring, it is associated with the lunar new year and is eulogized as the flower of the first lunar month. With pine and bamboo, it is one of the “Three Friends of the Cold Season” (suihan sanyou 歲寒三友).

Use: Flowering plum fruit are eaten raw or pickled and are used for sauces, juices, and liquors. It has been cultivated for its flowers as a garden plant since the 4th or 5th century. It is also used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Distribution: Native to China, introduced across East Asia.

Flowering period: December to February.

Botanical note: Despite its English common name, Prunus mume is botanically closest to apricot (Prunus armeniaca) rather than the fruiting Chinese plum (Prunus salicina).

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_mume 

Accession number: 95267

Chinese Peony (shao yao 芍藥)

Paeonia lactiflora

Family name: Paeoniaceae

Cultural significance: The herbaceous peony is among the most beloved ornamental plants in China’s gardens. Its large, colorful flowers have been celebrated in literature for nearly three thousand years. In ancient China, departing lovers sometimes offered stems of herbaceous peony to their partners, as the plant was colloquially known as the “leaving grass” (li cao 離草). In later periods, the herbaceous peony came to be called the “minister of flowers” (hua xiang 花相), while the more robust tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) was termed the “king of flowers” (hua wang 花王). The city of Yangzhou became particularly famous for the quality and profusion of its herbaceous peonies from the Song dynasty (960–1279) onward. 

Use: The herbaceous peony has been bred and cultivated as an ornamental garden plant for more than a millennium, and probably much longer. By the Song dynasty (960–1279), dozens of varieties, including single- and double-petaled forms in myriad colors, were commercially available in nurseries in China. The root of the herbaceous peony has been widely used in Chinese medicine since the 2nd or 3rd century CE, if not earlier. Indeed, the plant’s Chinese name, shao yao 芍藥, includes the character for “medicine” (yao 藥) (though the precise meaning of that name is debated).  

Distribution: Native to Central and East Asia.

Flowering period: April to May.

Botanical note: Most species in the peony family are herbaceous, like Paeonia lactiflora, though some, such as the tree peony (P. suffruticosa), grow as woody shrubs. Perhaps because the forms of their leaves and flowers are so similar, herbaceous and tree peonies were conflated in early China; both were sometimes called shaoyao.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paeonia_lactiflora 

 Paeonia lactiflora in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Camellia (shan cha 山茶)

Camellia japonica ‘Huashiba xueshi’

Family name: Theaceae

Cultural significance: Known in Chinese as the “mountain tea flower,” camellias have been cultivated in China for at least a thousand years. They appeared as subjects in paintings by the Song dynasty (960–1279). Although there are many different species of camellia, Camellia japonica is almost always the type depicted. Since camellias bloom around the lunar new year and the most common cultivars are red, they came to be seen as an auspicious flower for the new spring.

Use: Camellia japonica is primarily grown for its flowers. There are over 2,000 documented cultivars. Their flowers can be single, semidouble, or double.

Distribution: C. japonica is native to China (Shandong and Zhejiang), Taiwan, Japan, and Korea.

Flowering period: December to March.

Botanical note: The plant that appears in the photograph is a Chinese cultivar of C. japonica. Its name can be translated into English as “Variegated Eighteen Scholars,” a poetic reference to the 18 layers of petals often found in its flowers.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camellia_japonica  

 Camellia japonica in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 120842

Azalea (du juan 杜鵑)

Rhododendron cv.

Family name: Ericaceae

Cultural significance: Azalea is known in Chinese as the “cuckoo” plant, a reference to a legend about the brilliant red flowers that sprouted from the blood that a cuckoo bird spat as it sang until its throat bled. The flower is associated with the spring when the cuckoo sings. It is a symbol of good fortune. The poet Du Fu (712–770 CE) wrote of the azalea in many of his poems, associating it with his desire to return home.

Use: Azaleas are appreciated for their attractive flowers, but the plants are highly toxic.

Distribution: Of the more than 1000 species of Rhododendron, 71 are found in China, including over 400 that are endemic.

Flowering period: February to May; some repeat-blooming.

Botanical note: Azaleas are slow growing and prefer acidic soil.

Links to other resources:

 Azalea -Wikipedia 

 Rhododendron in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Magnolia (mu lan 木蘭 or xin yi 辛夷)

Magnolia ‘Galaxy’ (hybrid of Magnolia liliiflora)

Family name: Magnoliaceae

Cultural significance: The purple magnolia is also sometimes called the “wooden brush flower” (mu bi hua 木筆花) because the buds resemble the tips of writing brushes.

Use: Magnolias are valued primarily as garden plants, but the bark and flower buds of some species, such as Magnolia officinalis, have long been used in Chinese medicine. In some parts of Asia, magnolia buds are used to flavor rice and scent tea.

Distribution: M. liliiflora is native to south-central and southeast China.

Flowering period: February to March.

Botanical note: ‘Galaxy’ is a modern hybrid of M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’ x M. sprengeri ‘Diva.’

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_liliiflora 

Accession number: 57342

Lotus (he 荷 or lian 蓮)

Nelumbo nucifera

Family name: Nelumbonaceae

Cultural significance: The lotus blooms during summer and is associated with the sixth lunar month. Rising from muddy waters yet producing unsullied, ethereal blossoms, the lotus appears as an emblem of purity in many literary and religious traditions. In Buddhism it functions as a metaphor for achieving spiritual awakening despite the turbidity of the world. Consequently, deities are sometimes depicted seated atop lotus-shaped pedestals. Because of its many seeds, it also functions as a symbol of fertility.

Use: The lotus has been cultivated in China since at least the Han dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE) and has long played important roles in Chinese cuisine and medicine. All parts of the plant are eaten. The rhizomes (“lotus root”) are cooked or pickled and used as a vegetable. The seeds are often processed into a paste used in noodles and moon cakes. The leaves are used as wrappings for steaming. Lotus’s medicinal qualities are noted in the ancient pharmaceutical text, Shennong’s Herbal Classic (Shennong bencao jing). Its rhizomes, seeds, and leaves are all used in Chinese medicine.

Distribution: Lotus grows in lakes and ponds throughout most of China; its large range includes much of Asia.

Flowering period: June to August.

Botanical note: Lotus seeds have a very long period of viability. 1,300-year-old seeds recovered from a dry lake bed in northern China were germinated by scientists at UCLA in the 1990s.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelumbo_nucifera  

 Nelumbo nucifera in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

 “On the Love for the Lotus” Zhou Dunyi (1017–1073)

The flowers of plant and tree of land and of water that are worthy of our love are many. Of these, Tao Qian (ca. 365–427 CE) of the Jin dynasty (265–420 CE) loved only the crysanthemum. From the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE) onwards, it was the tree peony that became the focus of all the love of the men of the age. For my part, I reserve my love for the lotus alone, rising unsullied from the mud, bathing in the clear ripples but never with meretricious intent, wholesome within and straight without, neither spreading like a vine nor sprouting from a branch, its fragrance growing ever purer as it spreads about, standing tall and erect, to be observed from afar but not dallied with up close. To my mind, then, the chrysanthemum is akin to the recluse, and the tree peony to the wealthy man of standing, whereas the lotus is the gentleman amongst the flowers. Alas, ever since Tao Qian’s day, few have been those who love the chrysanthemum, and who but myself loves the lotus? It is the love of the tree peony that now suits the crowd!

Adapted from a translation by Duncan M. Campbell

Accession number: 141496

Rose (yue ji hua 月季花)

Rosa ‘Fortune’s Double Yellow’

Family name: Rosaceae

Cultural significance: This rose is known in Chinese as the “monthly rose,” as it blooms consistently throughout the year. In turn, it came to be known as the “flower of eternal spring [or youth]” (chang chun hua 長春花) and served as a symbol of longevity.

Use: Cultivated in Chinese gardens as an ornamental for hundreds of years. The young plant parts, flower buds, and flowers can be eaten as kitchen herbs.

Distribution: There are 95 species of rose endemic to China.

Flowering period: Repeat-blooming.

Botanical note: In 19th-century Europe, newly imported cultivars of Rosa chinensis were important in the breeding of many modern roses because they possessed the then-rare ability to bloom repeatedly. Consequently, they are an ancestor to many of today’s roses. Interestingly, the ability to repeat bloom was not a characteristic of the wild plants but the result of early breeding in China. This particular rose—‘Fortune’s Double Yellow’—is a Chinese hybrid of unknown origin that was brought to England and named in 1845 by the plant hunter Robert Fortune (1812–1880).

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_chinensis  

 Rosa chinensis in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 127528

Chinese Giant Loquat (pi pa 枇杷)

Eriobotrya japonica

Family name: Rosaceae

Cultural significance: The loquat has been cultivated in China since the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE), when it often appeared in the poetry of Li Bai (701–762 CE). The brilliant yellow color of the ripe fruit evokes gold. The Chinese common name used today is a reference to the fruit’s shape, which resembles the Chinese lute, or pipa 琵琶.

Use: The sweet fruit can be eaten fresh, cooked, or fermented into a wine. The leaves are ground and used for tea and medicine. The wood can be used in place of pearwood for writing utensils.

Distribution: Native to southern and central China.

Flowering period: October to November.

Mature fruit: April to May.

Botanical note: Despite its name, which suggests an origin in Japan, the loquat is native to China and was introduced to Japan during the Tang dynasty. The plant’s flowering and fruiting cycle extends across all four seasons: the loquat buds in autumn, blossoms in winter, sets fruit in spring, and ripens in summer. The seeds are toxic.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loquat  

 Eriobotrya japonica in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 98568

Cymbidium Orchid (lan 蘭)

Cymbidium ‘Coraki’

Family name: Orchidaceae

Cultural significance: The cymbidium orchid has been admired for its subtle fragrance and graceful form for more than 2000 years. It frequently appears in poetry as a signifier of integrity, nobility, and refinement. One of the “Four Gentleman among Flowers” (huazhong si junzi 花中四君子) (along with plum, bamboo, and chrysanthemum), it was a popular painting subject among literati painters, both men and women.

Use: Orchids are cultivated in China as ornamentals. Many species have been used in Chinese medicine since antiquity.

Distribution: There are 49 species of Cymbidium native to China, 19 of which are endemic.

Flowering period: February to April.

Botanical note: The Huntington was the first place in California where cymbidium orchids were cultivated outdoors.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymbidium  

 Cymbidium in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 138052

Persimmon (shi 柿)

Diospyros kaki

Family name: Ebenaceae

Cultural significance: The persimmon, with its sweet edible fruits, was one of the earliest cultivated plants in China. It was recorded as one of the fruits grown in the imperial Shanglin Park during the Han dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE). Given the bright, festive color of its fruit, it is sometimes used as a symbol of joy.  

Use: When ripe, persimmon fruits are sweet and a popular food. They can also be dried and are sometimes used to make vinegar. Persimmons are thought to have healing properties, and both the ripe and unripe fruit are used in medicinal treatments. Persimmon wood is valued as a hardwood.

Distribution: Native to East Asia, and cultivated for thousands of years in China.

Mature fruit: October to December.

Botanical note: When ripe, persimmon fruits are sweet and contain a jelly-like interior; the unripe fruits are bitter due to their high tannin content.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diospyros_kaki  

 Diospyros kaki in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 94690

Chrysanthemum (ju hua 菊花)

Chrysanthemum × morifolium cv.

Family name: Asteraceae

Cultural significance: The chrysanthemum is a symbol of autumn and the flower of the ninth lunar month. The plant is closely associated with the poet Tao Yuanming (also known as Tao Qian, ca. 365–427), who retired from the civil service to live a secluded life in the countryside, where he tended chrysanthemums in his garden. For centuries afterwards, his writings shaped the cultural imagination of a reclusive life.

Use: Chrysanthemum flowers are boiled to make tea, infused in alcohol, and added to various dishes for flavoring. In Chinese medicine, the flower is used to treat many ailments on its own or in combination with other herbs. Although most often infused as a hot or cold tea, it can also be administered as a powder or topical paste.

Distribution: Most chrysanthemum species originate in China. Garden mums are a complex group of hybrids.

Flowering period: July to October.

Botanical note: Chrysanthemums are recorded as having been in cultivation as a flowering herb in China for more than 2000 years. Over 270 cultivars were recorded by the Ming dynasty (1368–1644).

Links to other resources:

 Chrysanthemum - Wikipedia  

 Chrysanthemum in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Ginkgo (yin xing 銀杏)

Ginkgo biloba

Family name: Ginkgoaceae

Cultural significance: Ginkgo is known by multiple names in Chinese: “silver apricot” (yin xing 銀杏), an older, literary name that appears in early materia medica; “white fruit” (bai guo 白果) tree, a more colloquial name; and “duck’s foot tree” (ya zhang shu 鴨掌樹), a reference to the shape of its leaves. The term “ginkgo” is likely derived from a historical Japanese pronunciation of the name “silver apricot.” Considered sacred in some regions of China, ginkgo trees as old as 1500 years are often found near Buddhist temples.

Use: Ginkgo’s edible nut-like seeds are used in congee and other recipes. Many parts of the plant are used for medicine, including the roots and leaves. The wood is used in furniture, and the bark is a source of tannin.

Distribution: Native to China but now a rare species in the wild, ginkgo has been cultivated for thousands of years.

Period of leaf color change: Late October to December.

Botanical note: Often called a living fossil, Ginkgo biloba is the last surviving member of a once widespread genus common in the fossil record as far back as the Mesozoic era 200 million years ago. Their closest living relatives are the cycads. Old ginkgo trees produce regenerative growths on the trunk called lignotubers or basal chichi that can facilitate clonal reproduction.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginkgo_biloba 

 Ginkgo biloba in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 98664

Nagami Kumquat (jin ju 金橘)

Fortunella margarita ‘Nagami’

Family name: Rutaceae

Use: Commonly cultivated for its small sweet-tart fruit and as an ornamental. Easily trained as a penjing/bonsai.

Distribution: The species is native to southern China.

Fruiting period: February to May.

Botanical note: Citrus taxonomy is widely contested. The trees that produce the small, tart fruits known as kumquats are considered by some botanists to be multiple, distinct species and by others to be only two species and various hybrids thereof.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumquat 

Accession number: 97757/124365

Chinese Flame Tree (fu yu ye luan shu 復羽葉欒樹)

Koelreuteria bipinnata

Family name: Sapindaceae

Cultural significance: Although Koelreuteria bipinnata seems to have had little place in the literary and cultural imagination of China, its close relative K. paniculata is thought to have been in cultivation for 3000 years. In ancient times, it was planted around the tombs of scholars, while pines were planted around the tombs of emperors.

Use: Common street tree.

Distribution: Native to southern China and Vietnam.

Flowering period: October to November.

Botanical note: The Chinese flame tree’s fruit are the papery capsules seen in the photograph here. Each capsule contains several hard seeds. The fruit’s form brings to mind Chinese paper lanterns. Consequently, trees in the Koelreuteria genus are sometimes colloquially known in Chinese as “lantern trees” (deng long shu 燈籠樹).

Links to other resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koelreuteria_bipinnata

Accession number: 94463

Flowering Quince (mu gua 木瓜)

Chaenomeles japonica ‘Domoto’s Red’

Family name: Rosaceae

Cultural significance: Flowering quince is often associated with the lunar new year, as its brilliant red, pink, or white flowers bloom in early spring.

Use: Cultivated for its flowers as a garden plant. Its small astringent yellow fruit is edible after cooking and is used in preserves as a substitute for true quince (Cydonia oblonga).

Distribution: Of the five species of Chaenomeles in East Asia, three are endemic to China.

Flowering period: January to March.

Botanical note: Closely related to—but not to be confused with—Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis), a native Chinese plant whose fruit is used in traditional Chinese medicine and as a food source. Also not to be confused with true quince (Cydonia oblonga), which is native to western Asia.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaenomeles  

 Chaenomeles japonica in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 87326

Pomegranate (shi liu 石榴)

Punica granatum cv.

Family name: Punicaceae

Cultural significance: Although originally from Central Asia, the pomegranate came to hold great auspicious meaning in China. Blossoming in the fifth lunar month, it was especially associated with the Dragon Boat Festival, when women wore its bright red flowers in their hair to ward off evil. Because of its plentiful seeds, the fruit also served as a symbol of fertility and of the hope for many children. (The Chinese character for “child,” zi 子, means both “seed” and “offspring.”) Paintings of pomegranates with their seeds bursting forth were popular in Chinese homes as prayers for fecundity.

Use: The fruit and seeds are edible, and the plant is a popular ornamental in gardens.

Distribution: The species is native to West and Central Asia, but it is widely cultivated in China.

Flowering period: April to June.

Mature fruit: October to November.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomegranate  

 Punica granatum in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 137660

Japanese Maple (ji zhua feng 雞爪楓)

Acer palmatum ‘Shishio Improved’

Family name: Aceraceae

Cultural significance: Several species of maple are appreciated in China for their rich fall colors. The Chinese common name of the species cultivated in Liu Fang Yuan (Acer palmatum, which is native to Japan but widely grown in China) translates literally as “chicken claw maple.” The generic term for maple, feng 楓, is a homophone for the character “to confer” or “to bestow upon” (feng 封); consequently, maples often appear in puns or rebuses concerning official rank.

Use: Maples are widely cultivated as garden ornamentals. Their branches and leaves are used in Chinese medicine.

Distribution: A. palmatum is native to Japan and Korea but is widely cultivated in China.

Botanical note: Other maples, such as Acer buergerianum—the trident or three-lobed maple (san jiao feng 三角楓)—are native to China.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_palmatum  

 Acer palmatum in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 81654

Camellia (shan cha 山茶)

Camellia japonica ‘Red Tulip’

Family name: Theaceae

Cultural significance: Known in Chinese as the “mountain tea flower,” camellias have been cultivated in China for at least a thousand years. They appeared as subjects in paintings by the Song dynasty (960–1279). Although there are many different species of camellia, C. japonica is almost always the variety depicted in artworks. Since camellias bloom around lunar new year and the most common cultivars are red, they came to be seen as an auspicious flower for early spring.

Use: Camellia japonica is primarily grown for its flowers. There are over 2,000 documented cultivars. Their flowers can be single, semidouble, or double.

Distribution: C. japonica is native to China (Shandong and Zhejiang), Taiwan, Japan, and Korea.

Flowering period: December to March.

Botanical note: The Latin name of this species is misleading. Although European botanists first encountered it in Japan, it is also native to China.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camellia_japonica  

 Camellia japonica in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 97536

Banana (jiao 蕉)

Musa ‘Ice Cream’

Family name: Musaceae

Cultural significance: The banana (or plantain)—a plant native to southern China—is often associated with scholars from northern China who had been exiled to the south. In “Plantain,” the poet Du Mu (803–852 CE) conveys his homesickness by describing how the sound of pattering rain on broad banana leaves induces a dream of returning to his home in the north. The monk Huaisu (ca. 737–799 CE) is said to have practiced calligraphy on banana leaves because he could not afford paper.

Use: Banana was cultivated for its stalk fibers, which were used for weaving since at least the 3 ^rd  century in China. The edible fruit became popular only much later.

Distribution: Around 70 species of banana grow throughout the world. The preferred species in Chinese gardens is Musa basjoo (bajiao 芭蕉), a native of southern China.

Flowering period: August to October.

Botanical note: The term jiao 蕉 is now the general term for the family Musaceae. Originally the term did not refer to the fruit but to one of many plants grown for fibers used in weaving. Only later was the term applied to the banana plant and its fruit.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musa_(genus)  

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musa_basjoo 

 “Plaintain” Du Mu (803–852)

Plantains move in the rain, so I plant them in front of my window. I love the sound of the rain’s patter: it keeps alive my dream of returning home. But the dream becomes distant; I cannot return home. Waking, I toss and turn.

Accession number: 96879/96880

Chinese Tallow Tree (wu jiu 烏桕)

Triadica sebifera

Family name: Euphorbiaceae

Use: The roots of the Chinese tallow tree are used in Chinese medicine, its leaves are used in dyes, and its seeds are pressed as a source of oil (tallow) for candles and soap.

Distribution: Native to East Asia.

Botanical note: The bark and seed oil contain poisonous alkaloids.

Links to other resources:

 Triadica sebifera - Wikipedia 

 Triadica sebifera in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 137831

Heavenly Bamboo (nan tian zhu 南天竹)

Nandina domestica

Family name: Berberidaceae

Cultural significance: With its bright red winter berries and evergreen leaves, heavenly bamboo (also called nandina) is associated with the lunar new year. Nandina and wax plum are frequently used as substitutes for bamboo and flowering plum in gardens and flower arrangements. Nandina features in birthday puns, as “heavenly bamboo” (tian zhu 天竹) sounds like “Heaven wishes [you well]” (Tian zhu 天祝).

Use: Widely grown in gardens as an ornamental plant. It is recorded as having been cultivated in gardens in the capital city of Luoyang as early as the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE). The highly toxic fruits are used in Chinese medicine.

Distribution: Native to China and Japan.

Botanical note: Despite its English common name, nandina is not a bamboo; rather, it belongs to the barberry family, Berberidaceae. The berries can be toxic to birds and animals. It is considered an invasive non-native species in parts of North America.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nandina  

 Nandina domestica in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 97747

Yew Pine (luo han song 羅漢松)

Podocarpus macrophyllus

Family name: Podocarpaceae

Cultural significance: In Chinese the yew pine is known as the “arhat pine.” Arhats are spiritually advanced disciples of the Buddha who were charged with protecting his teachings after his death.

Use: The yew pine is commonly cultivated as an ornamental garden tree. It can be grown in dense hedges to block wind or sound. It is also frequently used in penjing and bonsai, and its root bark, seeds, and leaves are employed in Chinese medicine. The wood is used for the construction of homes in some parts of Japan.

Distribution: Native to China and Japan.

Botanical note: The yew pine is evergreen, and as a conifer, it has seed-bearing cones.

Links to other resources:

 Podocarpus macrophyllus - Wikipedia 

 Podocarpus macrophyllus in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Chinese Elm (yu 榆)

Ulmus parvifolia

Family name: Ulmaceae

Use: A tree with particularly hard wood, Chinese elm is used to make tools and bows. Thanks to its attractive grain, the lumber is also used for furniture, cabinetry, and flooring. Its versatility and hardiness make it one of the most popular trees for training into miniature penjing and bonsai (as pictured here).

Distribution: Native to China and much of East Asia.

Links to other resources:

 Ulmus parvifolia - Wikipedia 

 Ulmus parvifolia in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Twisted Juniper (yuan bai 圓柏)

Juniperus chinensis ‘Kaizuka’

Family name: Cupressaceae

Use: Widely used in penjing and bonsai and as an ornamental in gardens. A tree that thrives in dry coastal conditions, twisted juniper first found popularity in the United States when it was planted in gardens in Los Angeles during the early 20th century.

Distribution: Native to China and much of East Asia.

Botanical note: There are over 100 named cultivars.

Links to other resources:

 Juniperus chinensis - Wikipedia 

 Juniperus chinensis in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 96876

Deodar Cedar (Ximalaya xue song 喜馬拉雅雪松)

Cedrus deodara

Family name: Pinaceae

Use: Common ornamental tree. Also cultivated as a construction material and for its oil, which has medicinal and insecticidal uses.

Distribution: Native to the Himalaya (Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Tibet).

Botanical note: No cedars are native to central China, but both C. deodara and C. atlantica (Atlas cedar) have been introduced as ornamentals.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedrus_deodara 

Accession number: 137892

Dawn Redwood (shui shan 水杉)

Metasequoia glyptostroboides

Family name: Taxodiaceae

Distribution: Native to south-central China.

Botanical note: The dawn redwood is the only living species of the Metasequoia genus. Fossils indicate that Metasequoia was once spread widely throughout the world. The genus was thought to have been completely extinct until the early 1940s, when Chinese botanists discovered living specimens in Hubei Province. Seeds from the trees reached the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University by 1948 and were soon distributed to botanical gardens around the United States, including The Huntington. The tree is now grown globally as an ornamental street tree, though it is endangered in its native habitat.

Links to other resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metasequoia_glyptostroboides

Accession number: 95259

Tea (cha 茶)

Camellia sinensis

Family name: Theaceae

Cultural significance: According to legend, tea was discovered by Shennong, the mythical emperor and herbalist of the third millennium BCE. References to infusions of this plant’s leaves appear in the written records of the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BCE); the character for tea (cha 茶) also appears around that time in the Book of Odes (Shi jing 詩經), the oldest collection of Chinese poetry. Tea is known to have been used as a medicine in southern China during the Han dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE), and it came to be widely consumed as a daily drink throughout China by the 8th century. The English name “tea” is derived from the plant’s name in the dialect of the Fujian region, where Westerners first encountered it.

Use: The leaves of Camellia sinensis are the source of tea. Although there are many kinds of tea—green, black, oolong, and more—they all are produced from the leaves of Camellia sinensis; their differences lie in the ways the leaves are processed. First appreciated for its medicinal properties and even used in ritual offerings, tea gradually became an essential daily beverage in China.

Distribution: Native to southeast Asia and now cultivated around the world.

Flowering period: October to November.

Flushing period (new leaves harvested for tea): March to April.

Botanical note: Since Camellia sinensis has been cultivated so widely and for so long, it is difficult to determine where the wild plants originated and whether certain populations of the species are wild, cultivated, or escaped.

Links to other resources:

 History of tea in China - Wikipedia 

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camellia_sinensis 

 Camellia sinensis in Flora of China @ efloras.org 

Accession number: 97344

Black Pine (hei song 黑松)

Pinus thunbergii

Family name: Pinaceae

Cultural significance: As an evergreen that remains unchanged throughout the cold winter, the pine tree is used in poetry and painting as a metaphor for survival, longevity, and virtuous moral character. With their twisting trunks, scale-like bark, and exposed roots, pines are often likened to the coiled bodies of dragons.

Distribution: Though native to coastal Japan and Korea, Pinus thunbergii is cultivated widely in China.

Use: In early times, pine resin was consumed by Daoists in their quest to seek immortality. Pinus thunbergii is a popular cultivated garden tree, and the trunks and branches are trained from a young age into elegant forms. It is common in penjing and bonsai.

Botanical note: China has many native species of pine associated with specific mountains or regions. These include the Huangshan pine (Pinus hwangshanensis) of the Yellow Mountains (Huangshan) in Anhui Province, which closely resembles the non-native black pine.

Links to other resources:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_thunbergii 

Accession number: 121274/138884