What kind of plant is Buddha's hand? Buddha's hand is a woody plant

Other names for Buddha's hand

Bergamot, five-finger tangerine, Feirang, honey pomelo tangerine, five-finger citron, five-finger tangerine.

Growth habits of Buddha's hand

Buddha's hand is a tropical and subtropical plant. It likes warm, humid environments with plenty of sunlight, and is not tolerant of severe cold. It fears frost and drought, tolerates shade, tolerates poor soil, and tolerates waterlogging. It is best cultivated in areas with abundant rainfall and no freezing in winter.

The optimum growth temperature is 22-24°C, the overwintering temperature should be above 5°C, the most suitable annual precipitation is 1000-1200 mm, and the suitable annual sunshine duration is 1200-1800 hours. It is suitable for growing in acidic loam, sandy loam, or clay loam with deep soil, loose and fertile texture, rich humus, and good drainage.

Distribution of Buddha's hand production areas

Buddha's hand is distributed in Fujian, Guangdong, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and other provinces in China. In Guangdong, it is mostly planted in open hilly and plain areas at an altitude of 300-500 m, while in Sichuan it is mostly distributed in hilly areas at an altitude of 400-700 m, especially more often on hilltops.

Complete list of Buddha's hand varieties

Guangdong Large-Fruit Buddha's Hand: The tree is tall, and the trunk is grayish brown. The branches are greenish, and the branches and trunk have sharp small thorns. Long branches tend to droop after bearing fruit, and there are many short branches. The tips of young shoots are purplish red. The leaves are relatively large, similar to pomelo leaves. The fruit is relatively large, the yield is relatively high, and the fruit size is relatively uniform. When ripe, it is light yellow and has a special aromatic odor. It is outstanding among cultivated varieties of Buddha's hand.

Nanjing Buddha's Hand: The tree is tall, and the stem is light grayish green. The leaves are relatively small, about 8 cm long and about 5 cm wide. The leaf color is green, and the young shoots are green. The flowers are white. From April to May, there are more male flowers, and from late June, there are more bisexual flowers. The fruit is slightly smaller than that of the Guangdong Large-Fruit variety. Fruit drop is serious at the young fruit stage. Generally, once the fruit grows to 2 cm long, it is not easy to drop. When ripe, the fruit is light golden yellow, and the fruit sizes vary. There are two types: fist fruit and open-hand fruit. This variety has high yield, the alternate bearing phenomenon is not obvious, the tree grows vigorously, and it easily produces water sprouts and upright growing branches.

Large-Seed Buddha's Hand: The tree is tall, slightly smaller than the Nanjing variety. The branches are greenish gray-brown, with few small branches. Long branches droop easily, and support frames are needed when planted in the open field. The leaves are relatively large, about 11 cm long and about 6 cm wide. The leaves are dark green, and the young shoots are dark purple. The flowers are purplish red, relatively large, slightly larger than those of the Nanjing variety. The fruit is also relatively large, and the largest single fruit can reach 1 kg. Most are clenched-fist fruits. The alternate bearing phenomenon is significant, the cold tolerance is worse than that of the Nanjing variety, and the yield is not high, so it is rarely planted in production.

Small-Seed Buddha's Hand: The stem is mostly light gray, the plant is short, and the flowers are white. The fruit is small, ripens earlier, and mostly appears in clustered clenched-fist form, with a full fragrance. Cold resistance is poor, and the yield is low. It is generally mostly used for potted cultivation (Buddha's hand potted cultivation techniques) and is rarely grown as a crop.

Value and applications of Buddha's hand

Ornamental value: The ornamental value of Buddha's hand is different from that of ordinary bonsai flowers. The flowers of Buddha's hand are pure white and fragrant, and they bloom in clusters, which is very endearing. When the fruit ripens, its shape is like stretched fingers, a clenched fist, a fist-and-finger form, a hand within a hand, and so on... shaped like a human hand, remarkably true to life. Buddha's hand can not only be appreciated as a potted plant, but can also be used as cut fruit and decorated in bouquets, showing a different kind of beauty.

Medicinal value: Every part of Buddha's hand is useful. The roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits can all be used as medicine. It is pungent, bitter, sweet, warm, and non-toxic; it enters the liver, spleen, and stomach meridians and has multiple medicinal functions such as regulating qi and resolving phlegm, stopping vomiting and relieving bloating, soothing the liver and strengthening the spleen, and harmonizing the stomach.

Bergamot essential oil. The fruit peel of Buddha's hand can be pressed for essential oil. It is fresh and elegant, similar to orange and lemon, with a slight floral scent. It combines the rich aroma of fruit and flowers and is one of the most commonly used essential oils in perfumes.

Edible value: The fruit of Buddha's hand is rich in nutrients. It can be dried and drunk as tea, or used fresh, and it has a good dietary therapeutic effect. The outer surface of the fruit is orange-yellow, yellow-green, or brown-green, with wrinkles and oil dots. The flesh is pale yellowish white, with vascular bundles present in dot-like or line-like forms. It is hard and brittle in texture, and becomes flexible after absorbing moisture. The odor is aromatic. The outer part of the fruit peel tastes pungent and slightly spicy, while the inner part tastes sweet and then bitter.

The flower language of Buddha's hand

The flower language of Buddha's hand is auspiciousness and luck.

Buddha's hand is deeply favored by people in China and abroad, especially the Chisong golden Buddha's hand of Jinhua, Zhejiang, because Chisong Township is the true source place where Huang Daxian attained the Dao and became an immortal. Therefore, the people of Chisong call it "immortal fruit" and offer it to Huang Daxian. Nowadays, friends and merchants from Hong Kong, China, Macao, China, Taiwan, China, Singapore, and other places who come here for tourism and pilgrimage to the immortal all regard it as a precious item and take the immortal fruit back to present to relatives and friends, to show auspiciousness and luck.