Introduction to Bayberry Bayberry Origin, Growth Environment and Varieties

Bayberry is sweet and sour, can quench thirst, strengthen the spleen and stimulate appetite, so there is a saying that "looking at bayberry can quench thirst".

Bayberry

It is a subtropical fruit native to my country. The Compendium of Materia Medica says that it is "shaped like water bayberry and tastes like plum, hence the name", and the Complete Book of Agricultural Administration calls it "Saint Monk Plum". According to the cultural relics unearthed from the Hemudu site in the Neolithic Age, the growth history of wild bayberry has been 7,000 years. The earliest record of artificial cultivation of bayberry is the words "Yuzao Bayberry" in "Shanglin Fu" written by Sima Xiangru of the Western Han Dynasty in the 2nd century BC. Lu Jia of the Han Dynasty said in "Nanyue Travel Notes" that "Luofu Mountain is surrounded by bayberry and mountain peach", proving that artificial cultivation of bayberry dates back more than 2,200 years. Liang Kejia, the prime minister of the Southern Song Dynasty, described bayberry in "Sanshanzhi" as "wood like lychee, thin and thick leaves, red fruit, sweet and sour taste. No skin shell", and Su Shi of the Northern Song Dynasty wrote the beautiful sentence "Spring is all year round under Luofu Mountain, and Luju Bayberry is fresh in succession".

Bayberry is not only delicious, but also has the effects of promoting body fluid and quenching thirst, strengthening the spleen and stimulating appetite. Eating more bayberry is not only harmless to the spleen and stomach, but also can detoxify and dispel cold. "Compendium of Materia Medica" records that "bayberry can quench thirst, harmonize the five internal organs, cleanse the stomach and intestines, and eliminate irritability and bad air." People also like to select the best bayberry and soak it in white wine, which is usually called "shaojiu bayberry". In the hot summer, eating a few shaojiu bayberries can relieve heat and stimulate appetite, making people feel refreshed.

Origin

Bayberry is native to mountainous areas with temperate and subtropical humid climates in my country. It is mainly distributed south of the Yangtze River basin and north of Hainan Island, that is, between 20°C and 31°C north latitude, similar to the distribution of citrus, loquat, tea tree, bamboo, etc., but its cold resistance is stronger than that of citrus and loquat.

At present, the provinces that cultivate bayberry in my country include Yunnan, Guizhou, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Anhui, and Taiwan. Among them, Zhejiang has the largest cultivation area, the best variety quality, and the highest yield. Jiangsu, Fujian, and Guangdong are followed. Abroad, such as Japan and South Korea, there is a small amount of cultivation, and Southeast Asian countries such as India, Myanmar, Vietnam, and the Philippines also have distribution, but because of its small fruit shape and sour taste, it is mostly planted in the courtyard for viewing, or candied and eaten, and is not cultivated as an economic fruit tree. Therefore, bayberry is a specialty fruit in southern my country.

Growth environment

Bayberry grows in mountains and hills. It has a tall crown, likes moisture and tolerates shade. The temperature required is 15℃ to 30℃. The most suitable soil is slightly acidic, reddish and loose soil containing silica gravel and sand.

variety

There are mainly the following varieties of bayberry: water chestnut variety, late rice bayberry, Dongkui, Dingao bayberry, large-leaf and thin-stalked bayberry, large-grain purple, smooth-leaf bayberry, and black crispy core.