The leaves of this plant are both a delicacy and a precious Chinese medicinal herb

Today I want to introduce a plant to you all. I do not know whether it grows in your hometown, but there is plenty of it in Yunnan, where my parents' home is. I only thought of it today because it grows behind our neighbor's house and kept us company throughout my childhood. Now I have been married for many years and miss it quite a lot, so I also called my mother to ask about this plant. The leaves of this plant can not only be made into delicious food, but also have fairly high medicinal value, making it a precious Chinese medicinal herb. Its name is the paper mulberry.

The paper mulberry is a deciduous tree in the mulberry family. It grows and spreads very quickly, with roots that run horizontally, and within two years it is everywhere. It is very tall; without any specific restriction of space, it can grow to over 10 meters. Its stem is thick and sturdy, and the whole plant contains a white milky sap. The surface of the leaves is a little rough, and they can be picked in both spring and summer. It flowers in April and May, and the flowers are in spikes that look very much like caterpillars. In June and July the fruit ripens, turning from green to red; its surface is rough and it looks like a bayberry. It is currently fairly widely distributed.

In my memory, there were 5-6 paper mulberry trees behind the neighbor's house, and they had been growing there all along. Their roots were very thick and grew horizontally, spreading upward into our field and onto the field ridge. Within two years, many had grown in our field. To stop them from growing too fast and taking over the land, we cut the excess ones down and kept only a few growing on the field ridge to prevent soil erosion. The paper mulberry is a treasure from head to toe. In spring and summer, the tender leaf buds are picked; after being blanched in water, they can be stir-fried, served as a cold dish, or shredded to make a meat filling for dumplings. The taste is especially delicious. It can be harvested about 8 times a year. There is so much good about it. Now let me talk about its flower spikes: the flower spikes of the paper mulberry can be cooked into delicious food, though it is a little troublesome. Each time you want to use them, first take the washed flower spikes, coat them in flour or beaten egg, steam them, and then serve them as a cold dish or stir-fry them with meat. The taste is quite good. The paper mulberry not only stands out for its value as food, but is also very widely used medicinally.

The medicinal value of paper mulberry leaves

According to recorded information, paper mulberry leaves have the effects of clearing heat, cooling the blood, and draining dampness. They are often used for nosebleeds, enteritis, dysentery and other conditions. Their medicinal value is indeed broad, and they are also very commonly used in rural areas. They are a very precious Chinese medicinal herb. Of course, if you want to use them, you must do so under the guidance of a professional physician, since after all it is medicine.

Friends, does the paper mulberry grow in your hometown? What do you call it? You are welcome to leave a comment and share in the comments section.