The red fruits of Euscaphis japonica stay on the tree for a long time, hanging there for half a year

Euscaphis japonica does not bloom for long, and its flowers are not particularly attractive. But its fruiting period is very long, and the fruits are brilliantly red and densely packed.

[Euscaphis japonica] Staphyleaceae >> Euscaphis

Starting from early summer, Euscaphis japonica begins to bear fruit. At first, the fruits are wrinkled and slightly red, with fleshy skin, looking like shriveled pieces of cured meat. The flower clusters of Euscaphis japonica are already very dense, and after flowering each flower produces 1-4 follicles. So once the fruiting period arrives, the entire infructescence is packed full.

When I hike in Hangzhou, I often spot a few Euscaphis japonica plants along the trails. They like to grow in places with ample light, such as forest edges, hilltops and sunny slopes. The plants are not tall, and mixed in among the scrubby woods, they are quite hard to spot if they are not bearing fruit.

But on a trip to the Tianchi in western Zhejiang, I finally saw Euscaphis japonica at its most beautiful. Because the environment by the lake is better, the entire crown was packed full of hanging red fruits, looking from afar like patches of red clouds drifting up and down.

By the height of summer in July and August, the fruits of Euscaphis japonica turn an ever more brilliant red, and the fleshy skin becomes ever plumper. Suddenly, the fruits burst open, revealing the glossy black seeds inside. The reason Euscaphis japonica is called this may be that "wild crows" come to eat the seeds. But when I go out, my attention is never on birds, so I have not been able to observe this phenomenon.

In winter, the red fruits of Euscaphis japonica are still hanging on the tree. By the way, the fruits of Euscaphis japonica look a lot like jerky, but they taste nothing like meat at all - they are bitter...

The leaves of Euscaphis japonica are odd-pinnately compound, with glossy, shiny surfaces and fine serrations along the edges. Although the fruits are not edible, in some places people eat the young shoots of Euscaphis japonica. But like Chinese toon and fish mint, the smell of Euscaphis japonica leaves is definitely not acceptable to everyone.

Author: Jiang Mousen

Images: Jiang Mousen

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