What environment suits Buddha's hand? Grow it this way for better growth

Other names for Buddha's hand

Buddha's hand citron, five-finger orange, Feirang, honey citron, five-finger citron, five-finger mandarin.

Growth habits of Buddha's hand

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

The optimum growing temperature is 22-24°C, the overwintering temperature should be above 5°C, the most suitable annual rainfall 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.

Origin and distribution of Buddha's hand

Buddha's hand is distributed in China's Fujian, Guangdong, Sichuan, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces. 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 on hilltops.

Complete list of Buddha's hand varieties

Guangdong large-fruit Buddha's hand: The tree is tall, with grayish-brown trunk. The branches are green, with sharp small thorns on the branches and trunk. 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, with relatively high yield, and the fruit size is fairly uniform. When ripe it is light yellow and has a special fragrant aroma. It is outstanding among cultivated varieties of Buddha's hand.

Nanjing Buddha's hand: The tree is tall, with pale grayish-green stems, relatively small leaves about 8 cm long and about 5 cm wide, green leaf color, and green young shoots. 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 the Guangdong large-fruit type. Fruit drop is serious when the fruit is young; generally, once the fruit grows to 2 cm long, it is not easy to drop. When ripe, the fruit is pale golden yellow, with uneven sizes, and includes two types: closed-hand fruit and open-hand fruit. This variety has high yield, no obvious alternate-bearing phenomenon, vigorous tree growth, and easily produces water sprouts and upright growing branches.

Large-type Buddha's hand: The tree is tall, slightly smaller than the Nanjing type, with greenish-gray-brown branches, few small branches, and long branches that droop easily, requiring trellising when planted in the open. The leaves are relatively large, about 11 cm long and about 6 cm wide, dark green, with dark purple young shoots. The flowers are purplish-red, relatively large, slightly larger than those of the Nanjing type. The fruit is also relatively large, with the largest single fruit reaching 1 kg; most are closed-fist fruit. It shows obvious alternate bearing, has poorer cold resistance than the Nanjing type, and its yield is not high, so it is rarely planted in production.

Small-type Buddha's hand: The stems are mostly pale gray, the plant is short, and the flowers are white. The fruit is small, ripens earlier, is mostly in clustered closed-fist form, and has a full fragrance. It has poor cold resistance and low yield. It is generally mostly used for pot cultivation (Buddha's hand pot cultivation techniques) and seldom grown as a crop.

Value and uses of Buddha's hand

Ornamental value: The ornamental value of Buddha's hand differs from that of ordinary bonsai flowers. Its flowers are pure white and fragrant, opening in clusters, very endearing. When the fruit ripens, its shape resembles stretched fingers, a clenched fist, fist-and-fingers, or a hand within a hand... shaped like a human hand, remarkably true to life. Buddha's hand can be used not only for pot appreciation, but also as cut fruit to decorate bouquets, giving a distinctive beauty.

Medicinal value: Every part of Buddha's hand is a treasure. 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 distension, soothing the liver and strengthening the spleen, and harmonizing the stomach.

Buddha's hand citron 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 note, integrating 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 for tea or used fresh, and has good dietary therapy effects. 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, becoming flexible after absorbing moisture. It has a fragrant aroma; the outer part of the 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 highly 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, the people of Chisong call it the "immortal fruit" and offer it to Huang Daxian. Today, friends and merchants from Hong Kong, China, Macao, China, Taiwan, China, Singapore, and other places who come here to travel and pay homage to the immortal all regard it as a rare treasure, bringing the immortal fruit as a gift to relatives and friends to show auspiciousness and luck.