Coral tree, coral tree for honeysuckle family pods, also known as coral branches, French holly, Japanese coral tree, early grass tree and so on.
Evergreen shrubs or small trees, up to 10 to 15 meters tall.
Leaf leathery.
The conical inflorescence is apical; the flowers are fragrant; the corolla is white, later yellowish white, sometimes reddish.
The fruit turns red first and then black. The stone fruit is oval in shape, initially orange-red or dark red, and looks like a coral bead from a distance, so it is also known as a coral tree.
Coral tree trunks are straight, compact, the leaves are green and bright all year round, green and dripping, spring blooms a bunch of small white flowers, late autumn fruits bright red, hanging on the branches, coral-like beauty.
It is found in southeastern Fujian, southern Hunan, Guangdong, Hainan and Guangxi. It grows in the shade of streams in dense forests of valleys, in sunny or flat shrublands in sparse forests, at altitudes of 200-1300 m.
It is a good tree species in landscaping, it grows fast and is adaptable.
Coral trees prefer warmth, are slightly hardy, and prefer light and shade. It grows rapidly and vigorously in moist, fertile, neutral soils and can also adapt to acidic or slightly alkaline soils. The root system is developed, germinating, resistant to pruning, and easy to shape. It has strong resistance to toxic gases and has the effects of sound insulation, dust retention and fire prevention.
Coral trees are often renovated into green walls, green doors, and green corridors in regular gardens, and in natural gardens, there are many lonely plants and bushes to decorate the corners of the walls for concealment and shelter.
Coral trees are planted along the boundary wall of the garden, and the sluggish background constructed by replacing the decorative bricks and stones and soil with its natural ecological body shape can produce the effect of "the garden wall looming in the lotus", which not only appears natural and lively in the ornamentation, but also expands the sense of space of the garden. At the same time, coral trees are more resistant to fire, can be used as a forest fire barrier, and the wood is fine and soft and can be used as a hoe handle.
In addition, because coral trees have a strong anti-toxic gas function, they can be used to absorb toxic gases in the atmosphere.
Wood can be used as a raw material for fine work. Roots and leaves are medicated, and Guangdong folk use fresh leaves to mash external compresses to treat bruises, swelling pain and fractures; also used as veterinary medicine to treat cattle and pigs with colds, fevers and bruises.
Propagation method: mainly by cuttings or sowing.