Origin, growth environment and varieties of crabapple

People used to watch crabapples for viewing, but now people continue to eat them, and they are actually more nutritious.

Begonia

It is a beautiful ornamental plant. In the book "Flower Catalogue" written by Jia Dan in the Tang Dynasty, crabapple was called " the fairy among flowers " . In spring, in the gorgeous and beautiful sea of ​​flowers, although its flowers are small, they are in clusters, with overlapping petals and calyx, and a tree with thousands of flowers is intoxicating. The crabapple fruit is the fruit of the crabapple. The crabapple fruit can be used to make wine and candied fruit. According to the research of Li Shizhen, a medical scientist in the Ming Dynasty, it can also be used as medicine to eliminate rheumatism, soothe the liver and relax muscles. It is mainly used to treat rheumatic pain, beriberi edema, cramps caused by vomiting and diarrhea, female infertility, urinary tract infection and other symptoms.

Begonias have been distributed in North China and East China since ancient times. Especially in Sichuan, begonias are not only widely cultivated, but also have a long-standing reputation. There is a record in ancient books that " the begonia flowers are unique in the thousands of miles of Minshu " . People have always praised begonias from ancient times to the present. Su Dongpo, a famous writer in the Northern Song Dynasty, praised the begonia as " a charming smile between bamboo fences, and the peach and plum trees on the mountain are just vulgar " . Contemporary writers even praise the begonia from the character of " preferring to sacrifice itself rather than aspire to be the best . "

Begonia Origin

The crabapple is native to China and is now mainly distributed in North China. Huailai , Hebei is one of the well-known production areas. It is also grown in the southern part of Northeast China, Inner Mongolia and Northwest China. It is also grown in Dali and Lijiang in northwestern Yunnan.

Begonia Growth Environment

The crabapple fruit is generally grown on the slopes, plains or terraced fields of valleys at an altitude of 50 to 1300 meters . It has strong adaptability , likes light, is cold-resistant, drought-resistant , and can also tolerate moisture and alkali, and has no strict requirements on soil.

Begonia Varieties

1. Eight-angled Begonia: It is named because of the eight ridges on the fruit. It is also known as catalpa, sea red, red crabapple fruit, and naizi. Its peel is bright red, its flesh is yellow-white, and it has a rich fruity aroma. It tastes sour, sweet, and crispy when eaten fresh. It is produced in abundance in Huailai, Hebei, and is also grown in other northern regions, including Yunnan.

2. Western crabapple: Also known as small crabapple fruit, it has pink and white flowers and is a famous ornamental flower. The fruit is yellow with red, sweet and sour, and is mostly planted in northern China.

3. Weeping crabapple: Also known as weeping crabapple, it has pink flowers and drooping pedicels, which are very beautiful and are also famous ornamental flowers. The fruit of the weeping crabapple is smaller than that of other crabapples, and is red and yellow, exquisite and lovely. It is mainly for viewing, and tastes sweet and sour, and can also be eaten. It is grown throughout the country, but is mainly distributed in the southwest, especially in Sichuan.