What Is the Latest on Chinese Mahogany (Toona sinensis)? A Detailed Guide
Chinese mahogany (Toona sinensis), also known as Chinese mahogany sprouts, Chinese mahogany, fragrant toon tree, Dahong toon tree, toon sky, etc. Its root has two layers of bark, also called toon white bark, and it originated in China, distributed across a wide range of areas north and south of the Yangtze River, and belongs to the Meliaceae family. It is a deciduous tree, dioecious, with even-pinnate compound leaves, panicles, white bisexual flowers, and the fruit is an elliptical capsule with winged seeds, and the seeds can reproduce.
The Chinese mahogany tree is tall and large, and besides providing toon sprouts for eating, it is also a preferred tree species for landscaping. Toon sprouts are rich in nutrients and have dietary therapeutic effects, mainly treating externally contracted wind-cold, rheumatic arthralgia, stomach pain, dysentery, etc. Chinese mahogany is a tall arbor tree, native to China. People have long been accustomed to eating Chinese mahogany, and by the Han Dynasty it had spread across both sides of the Yangtze River. In ancient farmers' markets, Chinese mahogany was called toon, and the tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) was called chu.
Chinese mahogany is native to central and southern China; it is cultivated from southern Liaoning in the northeast, west to Gansu, from southern Inner Mongolia in the north, south to Guangdong and Guangxi, and southwest to Yunnan, with the most cultivation especially in Shandong, Henan, and Hebei. The Xinyang area of Henan has a relatively large area of artificial forest, and there is natural distribution in the Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi and the Xiaolong Mountains of Gansu. Its vertical distribution is in mountainous and vast plain areas below 1500m in elevation, reaching a maximum of 1800m in elevation, with a cold-hardiness zone of 6-11. Because the climate in Potou Village, Zhuangmo Town, Xinfu District, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province suits the growth of Chinese mahogany, it is famous far and near; this village is known in Xinzhou for its abundant production of Chinese mahogany and walnuts. Ximou Village in Yantai City, Shandong Province is famous for cultivating edible Chinese mahogany. Because its soil and water are fertile and the climate is suitable for Chinese mahogany cultivation, it has considerable economic benefits.
Chinese mahogany wood is yellowish brown with red bands, has a beautiful grain, is hard in texture, glossy, highly rot-resistant, does not warp, does not crack, is not easily deformed, and is easy to work. It is an excellent wood for furniture, interior decorations, and shipbuilding, and has long enjoyed the reputation of “Chinese mahogany.” The bark can be used to make paper, the fruit and bark can be used as medicine, and it can also be planted as a vegetable, giving it very high value. It is an important timber tree species for low mountain hills or plain areas in North China, Central China, East China, and other places, and is also an ornamental and street tree species. In gardens it is arranged in open woodland as an upper-layer smooth-trunk tree species, with shade-tolerant flowers and trees planted beneath it. Chinese mahogany is an important timber tree species for deep, fertile soil in low mountain hills or plain areas of North China, East China, and Central China, and a greening tree species for “four-side” planting.