What Are the Characteristics of Yangmei? A Complete Guide
Yangmei gets its name because its shape resembles that of the water willow and its taste is similar to that of the plum. Its fruit is sweet and tart, brightly colored, rich in vitamins and highly nutritious. It is one of China's specialty fruits and is deeply loved by consumers.
The Family and Genus of Yangmei
Myricaceae, genus Myrica
Other Names for Yangmei
Longjing, Zhuhong, Shengshengmei, Baidimei, Shumei
The Distribution of Yangmei
Yangmei is mainly produced in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region, where Yuyao and Cixi are world-famous hometowns of yangmei, both home to ancient yangmei trees with an age of up to a thousand years.
There is a folk saying that "China's yangmei comes from Zhejiang, and Zhejiang's best yangmei is in Xianju." The "Xianmei" of Xianju County in Taizhou City is a specialty variety of China and has already become a brand.
The Morphological Characteristics of Yangmei
Yangmei is an evergreen tree that can reach a height of over 15 m, with a trunk diameter of up to 60 cm; the branches and buds are hairless, and the young twigs bear shield-shaped glands; the leaves are leathery, hairless on the surface, with a leaf lifespan of about 2 years. The leaf tip is gradually pointed or sharply pointed, the leaf margin has sparse sharp serrations above the middle, is entire below the middle, and the leaf base is wedge-shaped; sparse golden-yellow glands grow along the veins.
Yangmei flowers are dioecious; the male flowers grow in clusters in the leaf axils and are cylindrical, about 1-3 cm long; the male flowers have 2-4 ovate bracteoles and 4-6 stamens; the anthers of the male flowers are dark red and oval; the yangmei fruit is a dark red or purplish-red sphere, with nipple-like protrusions on the surface of the skin, and the exocarp is juicy and fleshy with a sweet and tart taste; yangmei blooms in April, and the fruit ripens from June to July.
The Growth Habits of Yangmei
Yangmei prefers moisture and tolerates shade, and likes slightly acidic soil with a thick humus layer. Shady, well-ventilated locations are very suitable for its growth. Under microclimatic conditions with greater light radiation, sufficient heat accumulation and a higher annual accumulated temperature, it is even more suited to producing high-quality yangmei.