Its leaves are delicious, but its trunk is a rare treasure; this tree is known as the king of a hundred woods.

One advantage of living in the countryside is that you can often eat wild vegetables that are unavailable in the city. There is a kind of wild vegetable that grows on trees; it sprouts in spring, and its tender leaves are a very classic wild vegetable. People often stir-fry them with eggs. In ancient China, these tree leaves were also a tribute item, deeply loved by princes and nobles. Even now, most people only know that its leaves are very tasty, and few know that its trunk is also a rare treasure, known as the "king of a hundred woods."

Its trunk is an excellent timber called Chinese mahogany, which is actually the trunk of the Chinese toon tree. People may pay more attention to its leaves and know little about Chinese toon wood. However, some older farmers in the countryside still know its value. If you ask an old farmer, he might tell you that Chinese toon wood is a good material for building houses, usually placed on roof beams, and legend says it can guard the home and keep the family safe. Whether this claim is true or false is unknown. But among the people, Chinese toon wood is also called "evil-warding wood," and people like to keep it at home to pray for a thriving family business and the safety of family members.

Legend has it that Lu Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals who crossed the sea, loved to use Chinese toon wood as a pillow and regarded it as a spiritual wood. But this is only a tale from mythology. The main reason Chinese toon wood is called the king of a hundred woods is still its excellent timber quality. First, the grain of Chinese toon wood has a landscape-like pattern, and the wood color is yellow-red or dark red, with a luster. Second, in ancient China, Chinese toon wood was also a medicinal material, carrying a light, elegant fragrance, very suitable for indoor placement. Then, Chinese toon wood is relatively resistant to corrosion and insect damage, has relatively high hardness, does not crack easily, and does not become damp when exposed to water, making it a high-quality timber variety.

However, Chinese toon wood is not easy to grow into useful timber and has a long growth cycle, so it is very precious. In ancient China, only wealthy large households could afford to use Chinese toon wood. Because Chinese toon wood resists insects and rot, in ancient times it was a timber superior to rosewood. In modern society, Chinese toon wood is called "China's mahogany," and internationally it is generally considered to have very beautiful patterns, able to compete with mahogany. Most Chinese toon wood is used to make furniture. As people pursue a higher quality of life, it is also processed into various modern items, such as wooden buckets, piano soundboards, and various handicrafts, bracelets, and bead strings.

The fragrant scent and beautiful grain of Chinese toon wood make it suitable for the home and family, yet people only know to eat the leaves and ignore its true uses, which is truly a pity.