Is the soapberry tree an evergreen tree or a deciduous tree?

The soapberry tree is one of the colorful-leaf tree species; in winter, its leaves turn golden all over; it is also a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, and its roots, bark, leaves, fruit and seeds can all be used as medicine. So, is the soapberry tree evergreen or deciduous?

I. Is the soapberry tree evergreen or deciduous?

The soapberry tree is a deciduous tree, reaching a height of more than 20 m; its bark is grayish brown or dark brown, and its leaves are long elliptic-lanceolate or slightly sickle-shaped. In summer the leaves are green, in autumn they turn golden, and in winter they fall.

II. Where is the soapberry tree distributed?

The soapberry tree is native to areas south of the Yangtze River basin in China and to various parts of the Indochinese Peninsula. There is extensive cultivation in Jinhua, Lanxi and other areas of Zhejiang, while it is less common in other areas. It is also often cultivated in Japan, Korea, the Indochinese Peninsula and India.

III. What effects does the soapberry tree have?

The roots, bark, leaves, fruit and seeds of the soapberry tree can all be used as medicine. It has the effects of clearing heat, resolving phlegm, reducing food stagnation and killing parasites, and is mainly used for throat obstruction with swelling and pain, cough and asthma due to lung heat, hoarseness, food stagnation, infantile malnutrition, abdominal pain from roundworms, trichomonal vaginitis, tinea, and swellings and toxic sores. It can be taken internally or applied externally, but note that it should be used with caution by those with deficiency-cold of the spleen and stomach.