Where is Chinese fir suitable for planting, and what is its economic value?

Chinese fir, also known as shamu, shashu, or cishan, belongs to the order Pinales, family Cupressaceae (Taxodiaceae), a tree species that blooms in April, with cones maturing in late October. So, where is Chinese fir suitable for planting? What economic value does it have?

1. Where is Chinese fir suitable for planting?

Chinese fir is a subtropical tree species and relatively light-demanding. It prefers warm, humid, foggy, and windless climate conditions, is not tolerant of severe cold or damp heat, and is afraid of wind and drought. It adapts to climate conditions with an annual average temperature of 15°C~23°C, an extreme minimum temperature of -17°C, and annual precipitation of 800~2000mm. Its cold tolerance is greater than its drought tolerance, and the influence of water and moisture conditions is greater than that of temperature conditions. It is afraid of saline-alkali conditions and has higher soil requirements than general tree species, preferring fertile, deep, moist, well-drained acidic soil. It has a shallow root system, with no obvious taproot, well-developed lateral roots and fibrous roots, strong regenerative ability, but weak penetrating power.

2. What economic value does Chinese fir have?

Chinese fir wood is yellow-white, sometimes with a light reddish-brown heartwood, relatively soft, fine, aromatic, with straight grain, easy to process, specific gravity 0.38, strong decay resistance, and not subject to termite attack. It is used for construction, bridges, shipbuilding, mine props, wooden stakes, utility poles, furniture, and wood fiber industrial raw materials. The bark contains tannins.

[Medicinal value]

Root bark (Chinese fir root): pungent, warm. Used for strangury, hernia, seasonal febrile disorders, abdominal pain, joint pain, traumatic injuries, and scabies.

Bark (Chinese fir bark): dispels wind and relieves pain, dries dampness, stops bleeding. Used for edema, beriberi, incised wounds, lacquer dermatitis, and burns.

Branch nodes (Chinese fir nodes): used for beriberi, abdominal masses, bone and joint pain, leukorrhea, and traumatic blood stasis.

Heartwood, branches, and leaves (Chinese fir wood, Chinese fir leaves): pungent, slightly warm. Dispels foul qi, relieves pain, dissipates damp toxins, and directs rebellious qi downward. Used for lacquer dermatitis, wind-damp toxic sores, beriberi, and distension and pain in the heart and abdomen; externally for traumatic injuries. Seeds: dissipate blood stasis and reduce swelling. Used for hernia and breast pain.

The oil exuded from the wood (Chinese fir oil): used for urinary retention.