A distinctive agricultural product kept well hidden, stunning the world the moment it appears

The firecracker tree is a small shrub of the genus Clerodendrum in the family Verbenaceae. Also known as: Star-twinkling mountain jasmine. The plant height is 50-60 cm. In the year of cultivation, it blooms continuously from June to November. The cyme inflorescence is terminal and numerous. The floral tube is purplish red, and the front bursts open into five bright white long petals. The flower colors are brilliant and colorful, like twinkling stars, resembling "clusters of fireworks." The exposed stamens are like golden threads and silver willow catkins; with a gentle blow they bounce and dance without stopping. Besides its extremely high ornamental value, its roots also have effects such as soothing the liver and regulating qi, tonifying the kidney and replenishing essence, nourishing the stomach and harmonizing the middle, and enriching blood and regulating menstruation, and are mainly used to treat liver qi stagnation.

Firecracker tree

Morphological characteristics:

Evergreen shrub. Young branches are square and dark green. Leaves are opposite, long elliptical, with pointed tips, entire or serrated wavy margins, and the leaf underside is dark purplish red. Flowers are terminal, with many small flowers, white, 5-lobed, and curled outward into a semicircular shape. The fruit is elliptical.

The plant height is about 50 cm. The plant form is attractive, the leaf color is elegant, the flower colors are brilliant and colorful, and the stamens dance gracefully. It blooms in the year of cultivation, blooming continuously from June to November, and the flowering period lasts as long as half a year. The leaves are heart-shaped to round, opposite, deep green, with serrated leaf margins, and the leaf surface is slightly rough; the flowers are terminal, long tubular, with dense corymbose inflorescences, the floral tube purplish red, and the front bursts open into five bright white long petals, like twinkling stars, like clusters of fireworks; the exposed stamens are like golden threads and silver willow catkins, and with a gentle breeze they bounce and dance without stopping.

Firecracker tree

Medicinal value:

Besides its ornamental value, with scientific progress its medicinal value and nutritional health benefits are gradually being discovered. Its roots have effects such as soothing the liver and regulating qi, tonifying the kidney and strengthening essence, nourishing the stomach and harmonizing the middle, and enriching blood and regulating menstruation. Therefore, the firecracker tree is a garden treasure that combines ornamental and medicinal uses. If one can grow a pot of firecracker tree, one can enjoy beautiful scenery, maintain health, and also satisfy the palate. It can truly be said to be "hidden deep in the boudoir unrecognized, yet when it occasionally reveals its beauty, the world is astonished."

The firecracker tree has extremely strong vitality and can be transplanted and survive in all four seasons. It has a wide range of adaptability, is suitable for both north and south, is not choosy about soil, and is resistant to pests and diseases. The firecracker tree mainly reproduces by tillering. One root plant can produce 20-50 tiller seedlings in a year, and the tiller seedlings of the current year can bloom the following year.

Firecracker tree