What other names does bayberry have? A list of common aliases for bayberry

Myricaceae, Myrica

Longjing, Zhuhong, Shengshengmei, Baidimei, Shumei

Bayberry is mainly produced in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region, among which Yuyao and Cixi are world-famous hometowns of bayberry, and both have ancient bayberry trees with ages reaching a thousand years.

There is a folk saying that "China's bayberry comes from Zhejiang, and Zhejiang's best bayberry is in Xianju." The "Xianmei" of Xianju County, Taizhou City, is a specialty variety of China and has already become a brand.

Bayberry is an evergreen tree that can reach more than 15 m in height, and its trunk diameter can reach 60 cm; the branches and buds are hairless, and the young branches have shield-shaped glands; the leaves are leathery, hairless on the surface, and the leaf lifespan is about 2 years. The leaf tip is gradually pointed or sharply pointed, the leaf margin above the middle has sparse sharp serrations, the part below the middle is entire, and the leaf base is wedge-shaped; sparse golden-yellow glands grow on the veins.

Bayberry flowers are dioecious. Male flowers are clustered in the leaf axils and are cylindrical, about 1-3 cm long; male flowers have 2-4 ovate bracteoles and 4-6 stamens; the anthers of male flowers are dark red and oval; bayberry fruit is dark red or purplish red and spherical, with nipple-like protrusions on the surface of the peel, and the exocarp is juicy and fleshy with a sweet and tart taste; bayberry blooms in April, and the fruit ripens from June to July.

Bayberry likes moisture and tolerates shade, and prefers slightly acidic soil with a thick humus layer. Shady, ventilated locations are very suitable for its growth. Under microclimate conditions with relatively strong light radiation, sufficient heat accumulation, and a relatively high annual accumulated temperature, it is even more suitable for producing high-quality bayberry.